Protecting No Place Like Home
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: A/U spin-off from 3.18 and 3.19...what if Rusty and Sharon were put in witness protection after Stroh escaped? Please remember, this is A/U, so yes, I'm sure this all isn't to "protocol" for witness protection. We're going to go with it since it's just a story... Appearances by many as some chapters will be back in LA with the team. These characters are not my own.
1. Chapter 1

**A/U spin-off from 3.18 and 3.19...what if Rusty and Sharon were put in witness protection after Stroh escaped? Please remember, this is A/U, so yes, I'm sure this all isn't to "protocol" for witness protection. We're going to go with it since it's just a story...**

* * *

"We're here," she whispered to him, and he slowly started to move. He turned, but instantly, he noticed it was really dark, and he was unable to see much of anything.

"Where are we?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes and sat up in his seat.

"Home," Sharon sighed, as she pulled the key out of the ignition and opened her door. That shed light into the car, and Rusty looked around, almost as if he was looking for his phone, but he quickly realized he didn't have his phone.

"Really funny, Sharon," he sighed as he looked to her. She stopped her movement and looked back to him. "Sorry," he apologized, knowing instantly what he'd said.

"Come on; the light is on," she nodded to him. Rusty glanced out his window and noticed for the first time, a light was on, and there was a house. He was waking up finally and starting to notice things in the dark he hadn't seen a few moments ago.

"Yeah, but where are we, really?" he asked as he got out of the car.

"Ohio, as they told us," she sighed. "Home."

Rusty frowned as he looked to her, but it was so dark he couldn't see her well. She knew he was unhappy; she didn't have to see the look on his face.

"It's like quiet and really dark," he said as she walked up the sidewalk and Rusty followed. Sharon just hummed at Rusty's comment. "There's like no big city lights, and I can hear things, like-what is that? Crickets?"

"Yes, those are crickets," she chuckled. "It's true there are no city lights, but you've got to forget that for now," she told him. "It's important you forget that." He just nodded to Sharon while she worked on the door lock. Once she opened the door, she entered first, just to be safe, and Rusty followed behind her.

"Well, this is different," he sighed as he looked around the small house. "It looks nothing like the condo."

"It wouldn't," she told him once she'd shut and locked the door. She moved quickly through the home while Rusty waited in the small living room area studying it. He noticed the tan walls, the simple beige couch with loveseat set, the dark brown coffee table, the matching end tables, and the rather large television. He nodded to that, impressed that at least they had a decent television. The room looked empty, though, even with all the furniture. It wasn't home, and it didn't have anything from the condo.

"It's clear," she said with a breathless sigh as she returned. She had a large envelope in her hand, and she opened it while she stood there near Rusty in the living room.

"What's that?" he asked.

"More paperwork," she told him. "I was told it would be here. It looks like all the billing information for the house, such as the water, cable, and power. Oh here," she handed him, "your phone."

Rusty frowned as he accepted the new phone. It wasn't his; his was familiar, and this phone, even if it looked similar, wasn't his phone.

"Thanks," he said with a sharp tone, "but, like, who am I going to call anyway?"

She sighed, "You'll make friends. We're safe, and that's what matters."

"You were safe before," he told her.

"We're in this together," she shook her head. "Come on; let's look around the house."

Rusty gestured to the living room, "Oh, this is warm and inviting," he said sarcastically. "Just like home. I can see the orange chairs going nicely over there. Why can't we have some of our real furniture?"

Sharon pursed her lips, "Rusty, we've been over this. In the week we've been waiting, we've been told about this. I'm sorry, but this is now our life."

"You called me Rusty," he smirked again. She glared at him and shook her head. "I saw the bedrooms back here."

Rusty followed Sharon down a small hall. The house was small, and it was old. It seemed to fit; he had been told they were coming to a small farm town, an old small farm town, about as opposite from LA as one could get. The floor creaked as he followed Sharon, and she stopped at the first room.

"This would be your room," she gestured. He looked in and grimaced, "Great, more plain colors. Tan. I think I hate tan."

"You can spruce it up. We'll have it feeling like home in no time," she offered a small smile to him. "One benefit I noticed," she said as her smile grew wider. Rusty eyed her, not impressed, even though he didn't know what she was going to say.

"Two bathrooms," she pointed across the hall. "There is this one for you, and it looks like they renovated the master and added a bathroom back there."

"Well, that just makes this all better," he smirked as he turned in a circle in his new room. Sharon stepped back into the hall, and Rusty followed. He glanced quickly into his bathroom and noted, "Oh, great, love the tan walls in here too. Is your room tan?"

Rusty moved by Sharon and walked into her room. Sharon wasn't far behind him, but she heard him start to chuckle, "Tan. What a great decorator for this place. Just great. Your bedding is even tan, Sharon."

"We're safe, and that's what matters. It could be much worse," she sighed.

"It could be a lot better," he complained. "Where's the kitchen? Houses in Ohio can't be that different. I hope there's a kitchen."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Of course, there's a kitchen. "It's on the other side of the living room." Rusty moved ahead of Sharon again through the living room and found the kitchen.

"Sweet, at least they stocked it with food. I'm starving after today's flight," he told her.

"Help yourself," she gestured. "I'm sure there's some sort of basic start up grocery stocking they did, so whatever we don't have, I'll get in the next day or so as we get settled."

Rusty waved her off as he opened the refrigerator. He pulled out yogurt and eyed Sharon, "Basics? They put your favorite yogurt in here."

Sharon just rolled her eyes again, "I assure you that I didn't give them any specifics. They did do a sweep at the condo. Maybe they made a list from the kitchen."

"Let's see if they have my favorite cereal," he looked to her as he started opening cabinets. "Jackpot," he smiled. "At least I won't go to bed hungry."

"Hmm, you'll go to bed safe, and that's all I care," she said.

Rusty didn't say much as he looked around for a bowl and spoon while he prepared his bowl of cereal. Sharon leaned back against the counter to watch him, and she offered him a banana from the counter when he turned toward her.

"Thanks," he said, as he took it. He pulled out the chair at the kitchen table and sat. "Feels weird to sit at a round table. I'm so used to the long table."

"Yes," Sharon sighed as she sat across from him. She looked around the house. "After you eat, we can unload the car. They told me there would be boxes arriving tomorrow, more of our clothing items and such."

He just nodded as he chewed, "Good because while I might have been okay first showing up to the condo with just my backpack three years ago, I've grown attached to my clothes. I'm glad I don't have to get rid of all my clothes."

"I'm not sure if they packed everything, Rusty, but we'll make do," she told him.

"You called me Rusty again," he offered a small smile as he continued to chew. Sharon shook her head and sighed.

"I'm tired. I'll get it right by tomorrow, Chris," she enunciated his new name as she looked to him.

"So, how far from the airport are we?" he asked.

"Over an hour," she said, "without traffic," she added to emphasize that where they were wasn't anything like LA."

"Could you see anything on the drive here?" he asked.

She shook her head, "It was dark. It looked like a lot of fields. I didn't see a lot of light, so it's very different from LA."

The two were quiet as they sat. Sharon looked around her new surroundings while Rusty ate. He finally broke the silence.

"Sharon, you didn't have to do this. I mean, you didn't have to come with me. You left everything Sharon. I'm not worth that," he told her. "I would have been fine on my own."

"Let's not hash this out again. I knew what I was getting into when I said I would come with you. Witness protection isn't a fun, easy thing to do. I know what I left. Everyone around me tried to talk me out of it, but I know. My heart aches with all this. No decision would have been right in this situation. The kids know what I did, and as much as they hate it, they know I'm safe too. They are grown, and they are safe. I'm sticking with you."

"But, I'm not even your kid," he grumbled.

"You most certainly are, Rusty," Sharon stood as she moved toward him. "Legally you are, and in my heart, too. You are as much my son as your brother and sister."

"I did all this. I broke up your family," he looked away from Sharon.

"It's late; we've had this discussion for days now. Let's get our things, and we can get ready for bed. I know we're off on our sleep with the time zone change," she said. She moved to the door and started flipping switches. She smiled when one turned on a spotlight toward the garage area where their car was parked.

"Seriously, the car is tan too?" he asked as he moved from the table toward the door. He glanced out and noticed the plain car. "What is it with people here and tan?"

Sharon held back a smile as she turned to him, "I'm glad your sarcasm is intact. Come on; let's get our things. There's a security system on the house, and I was instructed how to use it before we left this morning. Let's get inside and set the alarm for the night. Tomorrow will be a new day."

The two spent the next hour getting settled. They didn't have a lot of luggage with them; they'd only brought the essentials and were hopeful more of their personal items would arrive tomorrow as promised. Once they got the bags inside, and Sharon moved the car into the garage, Sharon and Rusty both spent some time with the security system. After they had it set, Sharon put her arm around Rusty's shoulders as they walked toward the bedrooms.

"I know this isn't fair, but we are safe," she said again.

"Yeah," he sighed as he turned toward her. "Thank you."

Her expression changed, as if she wasn't following what he had said, "For what?"

"This," he gestured, "the new tan house, for sticking with me. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Ditto," she smiled softly at him. "Get some sleep. I'm going to get a hot shower and try to sleep myself."

"Night, Mom," he said with an exaggerated voice. Sharon smiled at him, as her eyes teared up.

"I do like the sound of that," she nodded to him.

"At least that fits you," he sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Chris?" he said.

She shrugged, "I didn't pick my name either. You look like a Chris."

"No," he shook his head again. He smiled for the first time that night. "See you in the morning." Rusty went into his room and softly closed his door. Sharon stood in the hall looking at his closed door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she walked to her room. Once inside, she sat on the corner of the bed while she looked around at everything. She chuckled because it was easier than crying; the room was plain, but yes, they were safe.

It took her almost another hour to shower and unpack her things, but she found herself exhausted and ready to crawl into bed. Before she did, she went in search of her phone. She let out a small laugh as she looked at it. She hadn't noticed the non-descript gray case on it until now. She'd have to point out to Rusty that at least it wasn't tan. She plugged it into the charger, and as she climbed into bed, she looked to the phone resting on the nightstand. She bit her lip and fought back the tears. Normally, at this time of night, she would call Andy, or he would call her. They would talk before going to bed, sometimes for five minutes, but recently, their talks had gone on longer and longer. She wiped the tears as she realized she couldn't call him. She desperately wanted to call him and tell them she and Rusty were safe; at this point, she'd even be happy with just a text, but she knew she couldn't do that. Sharon wondered if Andy was lying in his bed, thousands of miles away, thinking of her. Right now, it didn't matter. She and Rusty were safe now, and as much as she hated it, she had to close the door on her former life.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sharon, have you seen my backpack?" Rusty asked as he dug through a box in his room. Sharon walked to his doorway and when she met his gaze, he frowned.

"Sorry. I know I have to stop calling you that. Habit," he sighed.

"I understand," she nodded, "but it is important."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll work on it. Have you seen my backpack?" he asked again. "It's not in any of the boxes that were marked for me."

Sharon frowned, "I don't think they sent that. We'll have to get you a new one. It's too specific to you. I explained that they sent some of the clothing basics, but items that are uniquely you or identify anything, they didn't send."

"Oh," he sighed as he looked away. "I didn't think my backpack would be a big deal. I've had that for years."

"Precisely," she nodded. "I'm sorry; I know it means a lot to you. I remember when I offered to get you a new one before, and you didn't want one. You have had it a long time, and I do understand. There were items of mine I didn't receive either."

"Yeah," he looked to her, "you have to like find new lounge clothing. I'm guessing none of your LAPD t-shirts made it," he offered a small smile.

"No, they didn't," she sighed as she looked down. "They didn't send any of my Dodger items either."

"Oh," Rusty said quietly as he looked down at his boxes. "I know the lieutenant got you a few shirts and a hat. I'm sorry, Sharon. I know you two enjoyed going to the games. I'm sure you miss him and miss going to games."

"I do," Sharon looked up with her eyes full of tears. "I miss him, along with many others from work, along with Emily and Ricky, very much. I hate that the things that remind me of the people I care about are the same things we can't have here."

Rusty nodded and tried to change the subject slightly, "I bet the lieutenant would freak if he had to give up the Dodgers. He wouldn't like leaving Lieutenant Provenza either."

Sharon broke out in a smile and a small laugh, "No, you're right. He wouldn't like leaving the Dodgers or Provenza. I'm sure both of them miss you very much. I can almost hear them arguing at work now."

"Yeah, if they haven't gotten in trouble already," he grinned. "I know he has to miss you, Sharon," Rusty said, "the lieutenant, not necessarily Lieutenant Provenza," he clarified, "but, I'm sure he misses you because now he has to do all the paperwork. Now, the lieutenant, I'm sure he missed you, though. "You were like dating the guy, and suddenly, we're gone."

"Rusty," she sighed, "we weren't dating." Rusty raised his eyebrows to her, and she rolled her eyes, "Fine. Call it what you want."

"Whatever you call it, guy has to miss you. I know you miss him," he said.

Sharon just nodded, and then she looked to Rusty's boxes hoping to discuss something different. "So, we'll get you a new backpack this weekend?"

"Yeah, fine," Rusty waved his arm. "Oh, and I guess I need a winter coat? Sharon, why did we have to move to like the coldest place on the planet?" he complained.

Sharon pursed her lips, "It's not that cold here, Rusty. Yes, it's winter and cold, but it's not that bad."

"Well, if it has to be this cold, why can't there at least be snow? Mountains too. You like skiing, and I don't see that happening with how flat it is here. Why is it so flat?" he continued.

"First," she held up a hand, "it will snow. Cold doesn't always mean a lot of snow. Don't wish it too much because I've read it can snow here quite a bit. Second, we could always get you started on cross country skiing," she grinned.

"No thanks," he told her. "I'm good. How are you such the expert on all things winter? Wait, you aren't. You're the one who told me that we were hearing crickets when we got here the other night, but they aren't around here in the winter. It ended up being some heat pump or whatever, and I don't know how that sounds like a cricket."

"Hey," she made a face at him, "in my defense, I haven't had to deal much with winter. Back home, we had crickets most of the time. I thought it was the same. I'm new to all things winter as you said. I'm glad they did send my black trench coat, my long wool coat, my leather coat, and my ski jacket. I need to see if the rest of my coats made the move too. I'm going to need all of them, maybe even more for this winter weather. It sounds like we have quite the shopping trip planned before you start school on Monday."

"Ugh," he sighed. "School. Sharon, do I have to go?" She glared at him again, and he just nodded.

"Rusty, don't forget I start my job then too. It's new for me as well. We'll get you all registered at the school this afternoon. Then, we can look at cars for you and possibly start getting you some things, including a coat and backpack. I see you have your wool coat there, but you will probably want something in addition to that."

"I'm all in for the car buying," he flashed a grin to her. "I don't have to get a truck, do I? I noticed that when we went to get groceries yesterday everyone seemed to have a truck. I really don't want a truck. It's not very 'Rusty,'" he told her.

"No," she held back a smile, "you don't have to get a truck. Besides, we aren't buying something based on if it's for 'Rusty' or not. What might Chris like? I was thinking a tan car like mine would do." She spun around and started back toward her room.

"So funny, MOM," he yelled to her as he continued to unpack his boxes. He shook his head and got back to work.

Sharon moved back into her room, not that it was far from Rusty's room. The house was small, almost the same size as the condo, but it was a bit larger in the kitchen area. It also had a nice laundry room and a small fenced in yard. Sharon knew Rusty would hate learning how to cut the grass, but he'd adjust. With the small yard, she had thoughts about getting a pet. She wasn't thrilled with the thought of a dog, but if Rusty wanted one, she would consider it. She, better than anyone, knew he'd been through a lot the last few weeks. Sharon knew she'd prefer a cat, but she wanted to let Rusty decide. She also wanted to wait until they had settled into school and work before suggesting anything. As she started working on her boxes again, she sighed as she pulled out more of her things. Most of her shoes had made the move. She was glad about that, but Rusty, in a way, had been right. She had lost most of her t-shirts and other lounge items she wore around the house. She moved to her dresser where she had a list of things they would need to eventually buy. She added several for Rusty, including the backpack and coat, and then she added shirts for herself, knowing she would know what that meant.

As she continued to work, she thought about who had been assigned the job of going through her clothing and packing everything. She knew the FBI had taken over the case as soon as Stroh broke free. The LAPD had tried to keep the case to themselves, but they knew this would go well beyond the scope of LA. Sharon was grateful someone had packed her things and wondered if any of the team might have been present when it had been done. She knew Andy would see the place got rented, at least for now. She had signed a power of attorney to him to oversee the care of the condo. She'd also asked Andy to look out for Emily and Ricky, knowing that since Jack had failed at that job during their marriage, he most likely wouldn't step up now that they were divorced. She'd then asked Provenza to keep an eye on Andy, and she'd asked Julio to keep an eye on both men. She missed them all; she missed the team, her kids, Andy, all of them.

Sharon moved to the closet to hang up the items she'd put over her arm. She hung them up and went back to the box for more. This time, she smiled when she pulled out her favorite black dress, thankful that someone had sent this and aware they probably didn't know it was her favorite. She sat on the corner of her bed with the dress in hand, thinking back to the last time she'd worn it, just before Christmas.

 _"Why do you like pockets so much?" Andy had asked her as she stood nervously in the lobby._

 _"Hmm? What, Andy, what?" she turned to him, her nervousness evident._

 _He gestured to her, "Your coat. It's hiding that gorgeous dress of yours. You always put your hands in your pockets when you have pockets, and then, all that covers up your dress. I'm guessing that since that amazing dress doesn't have pockets, you are hesitant to take off your coat, where you do have pockets. My question, though, is why do you like pockets so much?" he grinned, knowing what her answer would be._

 _"I get nervous," she said as she gestured with her hands, now out of her pockets. "I like to stop fidgeting with pockets. If I have pockets, my hands can't fidget."_

 _Andy took a step toward her and stilled her hands. They were in the lobby of the theater, waiting for Nicole and Dean to join them. The recital had gone well, and they wanted to see the boys before going home. Rusty had wandered off, and the two of them were alone, finally, for the evening. After Nicole and Rusty had ganged up on them at the condo about their dating/not dating status, Sharon had been fidgeting all night. Andy knew it, and he knew why. The two hadn't had time to talk about the evening, but he could tell she was nervous around him tonight. So, when he moved a step closer to her, he grabbed her hands to still them._

 _"It's just me," he said quietly as he looked into her eyes. "I'd hope after everything, after spending time with you the past couple years, you wouldn't be this nervous."_

 _Sharon bit her lip as she looked to him, "It's just Nicole and Rusty," she sighed as she shook her head._

 _"Hey," he said quietly noting she'd looked away and waited for her to look to him, "It's still just me, just us. Who cares what they think?" he shrugged. "I'm not trying to put a label on this." Sharon glared at him when he said that, and he started to chuckle. "Okay, fine. I may have tried to do that before, but I'm good just knowing you are here with me. I would, however, like to request that you don't get nervous around me. It ruins that dress, your nervousness," he winked to her._

 _With that, Sharon took a deep breath and broke her hands from his grasp. She didn't say anything as she took off her coat and gestured to her dress, "Better?" she asked._

 _He grinned, "Much. I'll give it back to you when we leave. I know it's cold outside. I don't want my best friend to freeze. Oh, and for the record, I knew the answer to the pocket question before I asked," he said as he winked at her._

 _She rolled her eyes and then nodded slowly, "You are good with interrogation, lieutenant. Now, as far as my coat for later, your hand there was pretty warm, just a few moments ago. I could make you a deal, maybe in exchange for your viewing pleasure of my dress without the coat, you offer your hand when we leave. It would probably keep me warm on the walk to the car."_

 _"My favorite kind of deal, Captain," he winked as he offered his hand to her while they stood in the lobby._

Sharon smiled at the memory and jumped up as she thought more and more about it. She made her way to the box she had been unpacking, the dress still in her hands. The memory reminded her of one more thing from that night. She started digging through the box; she hadn't come across her gray coat yet and hoped it had been packed.

 _"Did you find Rusty?" she asked Andy a few minutes after they had their little chat about Sharon's pockets. He had walked in one direction to look for Rusty while she waited by the doors. They had said good night to the boys, and now that they were ready to go, Rusty was nowhere to be found._

 _"Yeah," he nodded as he walked up to her, Sharon's gray coat still on his arm. "He's in the restroom now. He was looking at the gingerbread displays around the theater. He'll be right out."_

 _"Okay, it's been quite a night," she nodded._

 _"A good one, I hope?" he asked._

 _"Very good," she reached out to squeeze his hand. He smiled at her, and then he moved quickly with his other hand toward his own pocket. "Oh, before I forget, while I was looking for Rusty and you were talking to Nicole, I found this for you. I hope it reminds you of the evening." Andy pulled a small trinket out of his pocket, and soon, Sharon saw it was a ballet slipper Christmas ornament, a tiny one. "I thought this would look nice on your Christmas tree and remind you of a few things-Emily, Nicole's boys, tonight," he shrugged as he blushed slightly. Sharon smiled brightly at him as she accepted it._

 _"Thank you," she nodded to it. "I love it, and it will remind me of more than all that, Andy. It will remind me of you." Andy clasped her hand tighter as he smiled at her. She took the ballet slipper ornament and pulled on her coat pocket. Andy still had the coat over his arm, so she maneuvered to put the gift in her pocket without losing contact with him. She managed to stick it in her leather glove for safekeeping and turned to see Rusty walked up to them._

 _"Ready to go?" she smiled to Rusty as he walked up to them._

 _"Yeah, unless you two want to talk more about not dating," Rusty smirked to them. Andy rolled his eyes and gestured for Rusty to move ahead of them toward the door. He squeezed Sharon's hand tighter as they walked out of the theater, and she didn't put the coat on during the walk to the car. She wasn't sure what it was, but she never got cold on that walk to the car._

Now, she started digging furiously through the box and threw clothing around in her room. She let out a small sigh of relief when she spotted the gray coat at the bottom of the box. Quickly, she pulled it out and stood to shake it out. Her hand went to the pocket, where she closed her eyes when she felt the ornament still tucked safely in her glove. She had meant to hang it on the tree at home, Andy's gift, but they had gotten so busy at work, and she'd forgotten. She hadn't completely forgotten about the gift; she just kept thinking about it at the wrong time. She would be at work and think of it. She'd be out to dinner with Andy and think of it, but it had never made it onto her tree. Now, she saw it as a small symbol of what had been. Sharon sat back on the side of the bed and looked at it. She brushed the tears from her eyes. It was silly, she knew, to cry over a tiny ornament, but it meant so much to her. When all her personal possessions were gone, she still had this. She couldn't contact Andy, but she had this, and it was then she decided it would not be put back for Christmas. She'd put it on her nightstand. She might even get creative and find a shadow box for it or something, but it was something she'd put out to look at each day. She stood and picked up the coat and the black dress and moved to the closet. She'd hang them together; the last time she'd worn one, she'd worn the other, and that had been when she'd been with Andy. It only seemed right to keep his favorite dress with her favorite coat. Maybe, just maybe, she'd wear them again for a happy occasion. Until then, they'd stay together in her closet. She might need a new gray coat because Sharon had decided she wasn't sure she could wear that one right now.


	3. Chapter 3

"The school seems nice," Sharon offered a small smile to Rusty as they walked to her car. Rusty looked over to her and grimaced.

"I don't think it's a good fit, Sharon. I'm not a farm kid," he told her.

She sighed, "You cannot label every student at that school. That would have been like someone calling you a surfer."

"I don't surf," he frowned to her, not seeing her point.

"My point," she told him. "You mention being from the West Coast, and everyone will just assume you're some surfer."

"Oh," Rusty said and looked back to his schedule. They got into the car, and he continued, "I guess it's fine. It's community college, and whatever," he gestured.

"Rusty," Sharon touched his arm, and when he looked to her with surprise at the use of his name, she rolled her eyes, "I realize this is all a lot. Believe me, it's a lot for me too. You're going to do just fine here. I'm glad the semester only started this week; you won't be behind with class too much. You're taking four classes, and they have a school paper. Not every community college has that. At least some of my requests were noted. I told them we needed to be near a community college for you. Here or LA, you can still work on your degree. Your schedule looks pretty good to me. They were able to get you into two English classes, a psychology class, and chemistry. Rusty, I'm proud of you for doing this. WE," she emphasized, "can do this."

If one thing worked in their favor with all this was that Rusty was just about to start college before they were uprooted from California. That part didn't have to be altered much with their new identities. The agency had taken care of the registration paperwork for Sharon and Rusty a week ago when they'd started working on their new location. Rusty had made a few calls to the school since then, as Sharon was trying to let him be the young adult he now was, and he had set up this appointment to register for his classes. The story they were telling was that Sharon had been transferred for work, which was the reason Rusty was getting started at his new school a few days late; they'd moved from the West Coast, but they were telling everyone they had come from Northern California. It made it close, but far enough away, that if they slipped up about their former lives, it would be believable. Sharon knew enough about areas of Northern California from visiting Ricky that they hoped it never became an issue with people here in their new location.

"I'm sorry," he turned to her and frowned. "I know it's hard on you too, and I don't mean to complain because I know you gave up a lot for me. It's just weird. I'm not used to things here yet. I'm used to the idea that I was going to be going to school with palm trees and eating lunch outside. Here," he gestured, "it's so flat I keep asking myself how far I'm seeing, like in miles. There's nothing for miles and miles, Sharon. It's so cold that I can't imagine it ever being a nice, warm place, and I now barely know my way around the campus, but I'm supposed to start school here Monday. I'll get over it."

She touched his arm and squeezed it as she smiled to him, "Let's go to the bookstore and get the things you'll need for Monday. That is a start. We'll get you a school shirt or something," she let out a small laugh as she shrugged. Rusty rolled his eyes, but he grinned. Sharon put the car into drive and looked to him.

"Okay," he nodded. "Let's get my books, Mom."

The two spent over an hour in the campus bookstore where Rusty bought the things he needed for his classes. He had to explain to Sharon that unlike her college days, some materials were now online and paper books weren't needed. She finally agreed and told Rusty that if he needed anything else for school, he was welcome to buy it. The two had been given new credit cards, and Sharon was trying to act as they had when they were in California. Once they were back at the car and loading it, Rusty grinned as he presented Sharon with a bag.

"I snuck this in at the checkout, while you went over to the coffee shop next door," he smiled as he handed her the bag. Sharon eyed and smiled when she opened it. "Don't worry-by snuck, I mean that I hid it from you. I still paid for it," he grinned.

"A school shirt," she chuckled when she opened the bag. Rusty shrugged.

"Well, I'm not going to be caught dead wearing it right now," he nodded to her. "I will be just fine in my hoodies, but knowing you and your sense of occasion, I thought you'd like something to represent my new school. Keep digging," he nodded again to her.

Sharon pulled out the shirt and smiled again as she saw the other item he'd purchased, "An insulated mug for my tea," she grinned.

"Yeah, I know they didn't send most of our kitchen stuff, so I thought you'd like that for your drive to work. It's a conversation starter too for all the new people you'll meet there," he added.

Sharon nodded as she held it and reached over to hug Rusty, "Thank you, Rusty. This is perfect. It's one of the first steps in our new start."

"Cool," he smiled to her when she pulled away. She knew he didn't like to hug people much. "Can we look for a car? I'd really like to find something because it's really not cool to be the new kid on campus whose mom has to drop me off the first day."

Sharon started to laugh as she nodded. She gestured to the car, "Let's start shopping."

It was very late when Sharon and Rusty returned to their new home. Both were exhausted from their trip around town, which was ironic because it wasn't that large of a town. They just had a lot to do, and even with as busy as they had been, they had barely put a dent in their checklist.

"I really liked that first car we looked at Sharon," Rusty said as they entered the house. Sharon had noticed that at home, Rusty reverted back to calling her Sharon, but when they were around people, he was very careful and just called her mom. She was almost tired of correcting him, and for now, she decided to let it slide. She hoped that Rusty just needed time to adjust. She also realized she wasn't much better and knew it was a difficult adjustment for both.

"I liked it too," she nodded as she locked the door and turned on the alarm. She turned to find Rusty putting the bags on the couch. "One of the things I liked about it was the four-wheel-drive. That would be really nice around here with the snow."

"I just thought it was an awesome car, much newer than my old one," he grinned. "Plus, it's pretty sweet being all black with dark trim. That's my favorite. I can't believe it's a used car; it still looks brand new, and the sound system is way better than my old car."

Sharon hummed as she nodded, "Yes, it was in excellent shape. I think after three dealerships that might be the one. I'm sorry that you got your old car after Ricky had used it. He was hard on that car when he started driving, so I know anything looks better than that."

Rusty started to laugh as he started to dig through the bags, "Yeah, well, I'm cool with that car if you are sure you can afford it."

"I can afford it," she nodded. "My finances were transferred over, and I had already started saving for a new car for you. Plus, we got that start-up expense money too for now. They will match my former salary, which was something I was firm about with all this. We'll be fine, and you needed a new car anyway. They are going to take care of selling yours, and that money will be deposited in my account as soon as they do that too. Now, the big expense," she smiled, "seems to be all the textbooks for my college boy." Sharon grinned as she walked to Rusty and put her arm on his back. She looked over his shoulder to the bags he was sorting. "I can't believe you start college on Monday."

"It's not a big deal," he shrugged. "Basic classes for now. I think I'll start to feel more settled when I get into a routine and have a car. You know," he shrugged.

"I do," she said as she patted his back. "We'll go back and buy that SUV tomorrow. One of the sales associates today said February is prone to a lot of snow. I'll feel better if you have something that can handle it. I know you've not had to deal with snow, and I've had somewhat limited experience. A week every few years skiing doesn't really prepare you for months and months of winter conditions.

"Cool," Rusty nodded to her. "I'm probably going to tell you like a million times, but thanks for the car. I'm excited to get it tomorrow."

"I am too," she nodded. "Whew, I'm exhausted, though." After spending the afternoon on campus, the two drove to one car dealership before they took a break for dinner. Since they were new in town, they opted for a typical chain restaurant, and they noted that there weren't a lot of food options in town. Sharon promised Rusty they would explore the nearby larger city as soon as they could in search of more food options. After dinner, they checked out two more car dealerships before they stopped at the store to pick up a few personal items. Sharon had suggested Rusty make his own list of needed items, and they had been successful with that.

"I had a nice evening, Sharon," Rusty told her as she started to walk toward the kitchen to get a glass of water before bed. She stopped and turned to him.

"I did too," she smiled softly. "I know it wasn't your usual Friday night."

"No," he sighed, "but that's okay. I got to spend it with you. I know it's not your usual Friday night either. Usually, you are at work or out with the lieutenant. Hey, I'm sure he's missing you tonight too, and while I'm sure Lieutenant Provenza will drag him to a bar, I know it won't be the evening he wants either."

Sharon smiled again as Rusty spoke. She thought of Andy and the irritating evening she was sure he was having. Yes, Rusty was right in that Provenza would drag him out for the evening. She hoped Provenza was taking good care of Andy.

"Well, we still have a lot to do tomorrow. We'll take care of the car in the morning, and then maybe tomorrow afternoon we can find a backpack and coat for you. We may have to venture into the city for that," she explained.

Rusty's eyes lit up, "Cool. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to just how small this town is or how quiet it is. I'm all up for the city, and hey,wee can figure out how to get to your work, right?"

"That was my thought too," Sharon nodded. "Okay, big day again tomorrow. Night," she threw him a quick wave as she got a glass of water and then headed down the hall to her room. Yes, she smiled as she thought; they had enjoyed a nice evening in their new small town.

It was late the next afternoon when they finally made their way into the city. Their small town was 30 minutes away from the larger city, and it was also where Sharon would be working. She'd asked why they hadn't been placed in the city, and she'd been met with no one answer that really was an answer. Basically, they found a house for her, period, and they weren't interested in how far she had to drive to work. She couldn't argue too much; they had met her request to put Rusty near a community college. It was less than 10 minutes from their home, and while neither were sure country living was the best option, they couldn't change it anyway. Now, here they were, driving into the city. Sharon had agreed they could take Rusty's new car on their outing, and he was currently driving.

"So, I still don't get why they couldn't let you be a police officer here, Sharon. They still need them everywhere, and hello, you are like the best one I've ever met," he told her as he listened to the GPS directions.

Sharon let him make the turn the GPS had instructed them to do before she replied, "Well, it's too close to what I used to do, Rusty. We can't take any chances. I didn't get much say in what job I would have. I really hope this whole situation is only temporary, but I must prepare that it might not be the case. I was told most anything in law enforcement was out, so after that, this sounded like something enjoyable."

"You're working at a mall. I'm worried you won't be able to pay my college tuition, Sharon. Did they not check your wardrobe before they gave you that job? Wait, maybe that's why they put you at a mall, big discount, right?" he flashed a grin as he pulled into the mall. Sharon looked at it, her new work space, and she waited until he parked before she answered.

"First, I'm not working at the mall or for the mall. I'm working for a department store," she started to explain.

"That's located at the mall," he gestured to the department store where they were now parked. "Sharon, you'll be buying the whole store soon."

Sharon pursed her lips, "Second," she started to say as she ignored Rusty, "I'm in charge of the men's department. If anyone should be thanking me, it should be you. I'll be able to find some wonderful clothing items for you."

"So, why are we getting a coat for me now?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "If this job is so great and in my department, why not just get it with your discount."

"Well," she ran her hands over her jeans before she continued, "my discount won't kick in for a month. You need a winter coat now. I'm sure I'll buy plenty of items for you in the months to come, if we are here that long. Right now, we need to find you a coat and backpack."

"Do you get a discount in the women's department?" he grinned.

"Yes, Rusty," she sighed. "Shoes and make-up too, really anything in the store."

"Man," he chuckled as he shook his head, "I feel like I need to give you an allowance for things, not the other way around, "he continued to laugh. "If only your team saw you working at the mall, they would all agree it's gotta be your dream job after being a police captain."

"Can we not discuss my job? As I said, I didn't pick it, just like I didn't pick our names. This job was suggested because I do have a sense of fashion, and most of my current wardrobe will work for this job. I'm very happy they shipped most, if not all my suits. Now, would you like to check out this mall, or would you rather sit in a cold car?"

"Well, I'm sure there are other reasons you're in the men's department, Sharon," he flashed a smile. "Man, if the lieutenant was here, he'd buy the whole department just so he could see you in your suits each day. Don't act like we didn't all notice. You could have worn a paper bag for the guy, Sharon. He was always drooling over anything you wore, so I'm sure you'll have a regular base of customers soon. I'm not trying to sound sexist, just so you know," he continued to smile while Sharon scoffed at him. "I'm just stating the obvious. You'll probably have the highest sales in the store," he added. "Let's visit your home away from home," he smirked. "I'm starving. Let's find the food. Now, there's an area where I would outspend you," he smiled brightly as he got out of the car. Sharon sighed as she got out and closed her door. She rolled her eyes at Rusty when she walked around to the front and caught him standing there still smirking at her.

"For once, we sound like our normal selves," she smiled to him as she had decided to ignore his previous comments.

"Yeah, we kinda do. So, knowing that, burgers?" he grinned.


	4. Chapter 4

By the beginning of February, Sharon and Rusty were settling into their new surroundings. Sharon had started her new job, and Rusty had started school. Sharon discovered one thing that was very different was her time. She now had time that she hadn't had working as a police captain. Because she was head of a department, she worked somewhat normal hours. She was on the floor some, but she did a lot more of the ordering and management of the department, which she was finding to be enjoyable. Sharon knew she was good at paperwork, and she was good at management; both skills were coming in well for her now. Because she now had more time on her hands, she was able to give back more at the local church. One of the additional stipulations Sharon had made was that she needed to still attend the Catholic Church. There was one in their town, and she and Rusty started attending the first Sunday they were in town. Rusty hadn't attended as much with Sharon back in LA, but here, he seemed to enjoy going with her now, in part because they had no one else; it was lonely starting over, and he enjoyed Sharon's company. Rusty also enjoyed the priest, but he'd liked the one in California too. Sharon told Rusty she thought it was the sense of community. People were glad to meet them and welcome them into the congregation. Sharon was glad to jump in and help with the needs of the church.

"What are you baking?" Rusty asked as he wandered into the kitchen early one Saturday morning.

Sharon looked up from the counter where she was adding ingredients. "I'm making several things for the church bake sale," she smiled.

"I thought you didn't have your cookbooks?" he asked.

"I don't," she sighed, "but, I'm trying a few new recipes. I looked up several, and I found some that were similar to things I used to make at home."

"Oh," he nodded as he got a glass out of the cabinet and poured himself orange juice. "I don't get why they wouldn't send your cookbooks and recipes."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "well, some might have just been an oversight. They were focused on our clothing and other personal items. The recipes, well, some are family ones, and maybe that was a problem too. I remember how to make a few things simply because I made them over and over, so I already wrote those recipes down over there," she gestured to a notepad on the table, "but, I guess otherwise, we're starting from scratch."

Rusty nodded, "You don't happen to remember the lieutenant's pasta sauce, do you?"

Sharon smiled brightly at Rusty, "That was the first one I wrote down. Andy was always insistent on making it himself, but he would talk through the recipe as he made it. I also went to the store with him on many occasions to purchase the ingredients.

"Cool," Rusty smiled. "That sauce was good, is good," he corrected himself. "It's better than anything we ever made."

Sharon scoffed at him, while Rusty stared back at her. "Fine," she rolled her eyes, "you're right."

"Can you say that again?" he grinned. "If only your team could hear you now." Sharon swatted toward him with the kitchen towel, and Rusty moved quickly away from her. He inspected the oven and turned back to her. "Muffins? What kind are those? Blueberry? Can I have one when they are done?"

"Yes, blueberry. Those are a boxed mix for now. I only have patience to start from scratch a few recipes at a time. I'm also making banana bread, oatmeal cookies, and brownies."

"Nice!" Rusty smiled. "Domestic Sharon comes out in Ohio."

Sharon rolled her eyes again, "So, tell me, how is school so far? You've been there now almost a month."

"Oh yeah," Rusty nodded as he sat down at the table to speak to Sharon while she worked on the baked goods, "I forgot to tell you. Well, I didn't forget. You came in late after work last night, and I guess I'd already fallen asleep."

"Yes, remember, I went to church for that meeting about this bake sale," she gestured.

"Right," he nodded. "So, yesterday in chemistry lab, this idiot almost blew up the place. He obviously has no clue what he was doing and almost added the wrong chemical. What a moron," Rusty said as he shook his head.

"Was everyone alright?" Sharon asked as she spun around to look at Rusty. She looked to him in panic.

"Oh, yeah, now we're fine," he rolled his eyes. "The professor caught it in time, but then we got a 15-minute lecture and diagramed explanation of why that was a bad idea. I didn't move to the middle of nowhere to be taken out by an idiot in chemistry lab."

Sharon just nodded as she listened, "I'm glad you are okay."

"Thanks, me too," he nodded.

"Have you made any friends?" she asked.

Rusty shrugged, "A few here and there. I did submit some stories to the school paper. I'm hoping they'll let me write more for them. If nothing else, I told them I'd enjoy doing some of the editing right now. This guy, Dave, who is in my psychology class told me a group of them play chess at the coffee shop in town on Thursday evenings. I might try it next week. I had on my chess shirt the other day, and he asked about it. I've really missed playing chess."

"I know you have," Sharon nodded. "Remember, they told you chess was fine as long as you didn't get into tournaments and such."

"Yeah, yeah," Rusty waved. "I know. I asked Dave about this group, and he said it's just some people from town. Sounds promising."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not a better chess player. I have tried. It's just not my thing," she looked to Rusty with an apologetic smile.

"I know," he nodded. "That's one of the times I didn't mind having the lieutenant around the condo. He was always up for a game."

"He was," Sharon smiled at the thought and turned back to her baking. Andy. She missed him.

Back in LA, the team was trying to adjust to their new normal. The department left Sharon's job open, classifying it as a leave of absence for the time being, but with that, Major Crimes still needed someone in charge. Taylor spoke to Provenza, and the two finally compromised. Provenza would be the officer in charge, almost like he was as the incident commander at a crime scene, but the division would be evaluated often by Chief Davis. Provenza HATED conceding on that point, but Taylor hadn't given him much room to negotiate. Winnie Davis was disliked by just about everyone in the building, and she seemed to let her title go to her head. Taylor put her over Major Crimes until the department could get a better handle on Sharon's situation. Truthfully, no one, even Taylor, wanted to suggest she wasn't coming back.

"Flynn, where were you last night?" Provenza exclaimed as Andy walked in for the day. Andy threw an irritated glance toward Provenza before he ignored him and kept walking. "Flynn? Did you hear me? Where were you?"

"What? Are you my keeper? I might have to report to you here, but I don't when I walk out those doors at night," he snapped as he sat down at his desk. He turned slightly, almost as if he was expecting Sharon's door to open. He sighed and looked back toward the team, noting that her blinds were still closed, and her office was dark. He'd done that. He couldn't stand the sight of her blinds open, of seeing her desk, and while Provenza had been told he could have the office, he didn't want to move either. No one wanted to address Sharon's absence. So, after a few days of agony, of staring at her office, he had stood up from his desk in the middle of the day, gone into her office, snapped shut all the binds, and he'd come out and closed the door. Andy gestured with his hand, holding up the one item he'd collected from her office, Sharon's desk nameplate, and he put it on his desk. The team had watched the whole scene, and no one said a word. After Andy had closed Sharon's office and moved her desk nameplate, no one from the team had gone in there since.

"I'm not your keeper, but I still am your best friend. Why, I don't know," Provenza grumbled. The team chuckled as they looked from Andy to Provenza. "Plus, lately, you've been the last one here. You never used to be the last one here."

"Well, things change," Andy sighed as he looked to Sharon's nameplate. He shook his head and looked back to the team. He knew they were worried about him. "Look, I'm fine. I was busy last night."

"Were you drinking? Flynn, I swear if you were," Provenza stopped when Andy held up his hand.

"No, I didn't have a drink. I haven't had a drink, promise. Sharon might actually show up and let me have it if she thought I was drinking. I won't do something that stupid," he told them.

"I could see the captain doing that," Julio grinned. "I can almost hear her chewing you out."

The team continued their quiet chuckle. They all missed her. She was their boss, their friend, and it wasn't the same. It didn't help that when Winnie Davis blew into the office, she barked out orders. She wasn't as smart as Sharon, and the team had all noticed that too.

"Lieutenant, have you been eating?" Amy asked, her concern evident in her voice.

Andy held up his hand again, "Look, I'm doing okay. I won't lie and say I'm doing well, but I'm okay. I just wasn't home last night."

"Where were you? I waited at your place until after midnight, and even your meetings are over by then. You didn't come home, and there is no way the sad puppy you are right now was with another woman," Provenza pointed to Andy. "By the way, you are out of chips, beer, and frozen pizza."

Andy sighed, "Funny! I don't eat any of that!" He ran his hands through his hair, "Fine. You're right; I didn't go home. I stayed at the condo."

"You stayed at the condo?" Mike repeated. "Are you talking about the captain's condo?"

"Yes! I was at Sharon's condo. I'm trying to clean out the place, that is, whatever the feds didn't take. She wanted me to get it rented, and to do that, I need to remove the rest of her personal items. I've been staying there most nights. I would rather go there than go home. Home feels lonely which is ironic because it's always been my home, alone. I just need to be close to her."

"Oh, here we go," Provenza rolled his eyes. The two men knew each other well, and Provenza, while he might sound insensitive, knew how to drag Andy out of his own pity party. "Flynn," he pointed to him again, "may I remind you that sleeping over at a woman's place is only a good thing if the woman is actually there? We had to watch your cat and mouse game for over a year. You two were prim and proper, and the moment she's gone, you're sleeping at the condo. You might want to rethink that statement; you'll give yourself a bad rap."

"Oh, stuff it, Provenza," Andy snapped at him.

"Well," Provenza gestured, "if she was still here, you two would still be flirting your way around the office. Nothing would have changed, and we would have to watch the painfully slow movement of your relationship. Flynn, we know you loved her, but you can't t hide in her condo. That isn't going to bring her back."

"Do you think I don't know that?" he snapped. "I'm trying to do what she asked. She asked me to look out for the kids and to take care of the condo."

"Sir, would you like some help? That might make it less painful and speed up the process," Julio offered.

"No," Andy sighed as he waved them off. "Thanks, Julio. I'm almost done. I did Rusty's things first. That wasn't as hard, but I miss the kid. I'm almost done with Sharon's things. More of her personal items were left, which is one of the reasons it's taking longer."

"Lieutenant, what are you doing with the captains' furniture?" Buzz asked.

"The realtor suggested renting it furnished, so that is the plan, he explained.

"Well, if you want any help, I'm available," Buzz nodded. "Where are you putting their personal items?"

"Oh, everything is going to my garage and guest room for now. I'll deal with it further down the road if I have to do so," he explained. "Thanks for the offer, Buzz, everyone," he nodded to the team.

"You think they are okay?" Amy asked. The team hadn't talked about the situation much. It had been too painful.

"Yeah," Andy nodded. "I think they are safe. Knowing Sharon, I know they are safe. Emotionally, I can't imagine. Well, I know what it's like for me, and I still have you guys and the kids. Sharon and Rusty left everything."

"I can't imagine leaving my family," Mike shook his head. "Andy, have you spoken to the captain's kids? How are they?"

"Oh, well, yeah, I've spoken to them. "Actually, I'm going to use some leave next month to fly to New York. I'm going to meet Emily and Ricky there. We thought it was better I go to them. Sharon left letters for them she didn't want to send, and I did promise to check on them. Emily's got a performance, and I've only seen her dance once. I'm looking forward to it. Taylor approved it," he looked to Provenza as if to explain why he hadn't asked him. "Look, I promised myself that I'm going to make more time for family. Sure, they aren't my kids, but Sharon can't be a mom to them right now. We all know they struck out in the dad department, so I'm happy to help. We all miss her, and being with them is the next best thing. It's not just Sharon's kids, either. I'm going to spend more time with my kids, and I'm going to just get out of this city more, away from the dirt bags of LA. I'm going to travel some and try to get my head squared away. I spoke to Taylor because I have this plan to use some leave each month. Provenza, he just approved it yesterday, so it will be on your desk. I have over a year of leave I've accumulated, so I'm going to start using it. Sharon would want me to do that."

"Well, anything that keeps me from having to look at your face," Provenza gestured.

"Right back at ya," Andy snapped. The team was quite for a few moments while everyone let things calm down between the men. Provenza didn't let the silence last.

"Flynn, since we are finally talking about this, please tell me that before she left, you told the captain how you felt? You've been hiding behind it too long, and it would be like you to send her off and not say a word!" Provenza exclaimed.

Andy turned and glared at Provenza, while the team waited. "Yeah, for your information, I did. I finally had the courage to tell her I love her."


	5. Chapter 5

"Sharon?" she heard him knocking on her door, so she tried to compose herself before he entered.

"Come in, Rusty," she said as she wiped her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She could tell he was concerned about her. "I got up to get a glass of water, and I thought I heard you in here crying."

"I'm fine," Sharon sighed, as she sat up in bed. It was dark, and the only light coming into the room was now from the hall. Rusty stood just inside her door with his glass of water. He had on his fleece sleep pants and a long sleeve shirt. The Ohio winter nights were cold, and they were finding that while February in LA had been somewhat pleasant, it wasn't in Ohio. Bitter cold temperatures and ice had been plaguing them for days.

"You were crying, though," Rusty pointed out to her. "Oh, it's today that's bothering you, isn't it?" Rusty moved further into the room, and Sharon gave him a sad smile as he stepped closer. She patted the space next to her on the bed for Rusty to sit. He did, and she just shrugged at him.

"I miss him. I enjoyed the evening very much. It felt good to help serve the Valentine's dinner at the church. I'm glad you came to help too. I just miss him. I know we most likely would have gotten stuck working, but I'm sure I would have head him complain all day about just how sappy Valentine's Day really is."

"But, deep down, he's this closet romantic," Rusty nodded. "Yeah, I've seen it, even when you two were trying to convince the world you were just friends," he flashed a quick smile to Sharon. "That can disgust me, but I know he cared about you a lot."

"Well, he has been my best friend, and I miss that as much as anything. We truly weren't romantic, Rusty, and I know you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth. We were on that path," she explained, "but we had become much more than two people dating. I know that's hard to understand, but he was the person I could talk to about anything. It's not the same with your children. I hope you understand that and know I am very glad to be here with you. I can be glad to be here and still miss him too. I miss your brother and sister as well. I know I always try to keep it positive for you, but here you go," she gestured. "This is me missing everyone too. I'm not always the cheerful one."

Rusty listened and just nodded. He looked to her nightstand where she had her clock, book, glasses, and shadow box. "What's the deal with that?" he asked. "I've been wanting to ask, and I know you put that up shortly after we got here, but what's the deal? I know you, and you don't put just anything on your nightstand. At home, you had pictures of all of us, and then you had that one with the lieutenant from the charity ball.

Sharon followed Rusty's gaze, not that she needed to do so. She knew exactly what Rusty was asking about on her nightstand. She smiled and then answered him, "I know that looks odd," she shrugged. "I was hanging up my clothing when we first got here. I got to thinking about the last time I'd worn one of my dresses. In fact, it was the dress I wore to the Nutcracker. Anyway, I wore my gray coat with it, and I remembered Andy had purchases a tiny ballet slipper ornament for me that evening. I'd put it inside my glove, which was inside my coat pocket. It was still there," she said as she let out a small laugh. "Silly, I know, but it's the one thing I have here that he gave me, well, aside from a scarf and two pairs of earrings. I just wanted something from home, and the nice thing is it doesn't appear to have any connection to home."

Rusty just nodded as he looked at it. He turned back to Sharon, "I get it. Even I think of the guy when I look at my chess board. They only sent one, even though I had three at home. You know the one they sent is the one he got me last year for my birthday."

Sharon's smile grew wider as she listened to Rusty, "No," she shook her head. "I didn't know it was that one. I remember he got you a chess board, but I didn't know it was the one that was packed."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I'll deny it if you ever tell him I said that I miss him too."

Sharon bit her lip and looked away, "We may not see him, Rusty. You have to realize that."

"I know, Sharon, but we can hope the FBI or someone finds Stroh. He's out there, and he'll turn up one of these days."

"Yes," Sharon nodded. "We don't need to worry about that," she said as she slipped into her protective mode. "You need to go back to bed. You have school in the morning."

"And you," he stood and pointed to her, "have that all-day training at work."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Sharon sighed. "If the people there knew I'd prefer tracking down murderers to their dull-all-day training sessions, they probably wouldn't believe me."

Rusty chuckled as he put his hand on her door, "Goodnight, Sharon. At least all the red hearts and decorations will be coming down now that Valentine's Day is over."

"Good point," Sharon nodded to him. "Remind me I need to stop at the store and buy any of the leftover chocolate."

The weeks dragged on, and Sharon and Rusty found themselves wishing they still lived near the beach. Ohio was gray and dark; winter was long. Rusty was getting good use out of his four-wheel drive with the snow and the ice. Luckily, the snow had trickled in over several days; they had yet to experience a real snowstorm.

"Hey Sharon," Rusty called to her when he entered the house. Both had tried to use their new names at home, and it wasn't working well. They were rarely around others, and when they were, they were careful. It was working for now, and they had discussed that when they started having friends over for dinners and such, they would really have to be careful.

"In the kitchen," she answered him as he came through the front door. Sharon normally parked in the garage, but it was just tight enough there wasn't space for both cars. They'd added a snow blower and a few other winter items to their new home, and those things had been relocated to the garage next to Sharon's car.

"Did you know it could snow here into April? April, Sharon! That's insane," he complained. "I was asking my friend Ben about the weather at school today, and he was telling me it's snowed here on Easter. That's messed up, Sharon. I'm so ready for this weather to end. I was not cut out for the cold."

Sharon, who was working at the stove, turned to Rusty and held back a grin. She folded her arms in front of her and looked to the floor. When she looked up and met his gaze, she shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, I'd heard that about the weather. In fact, they are known to get snow storms here in April, not just little dustings," she grinned.

"Ugh," Rusty moaned as he flopped down in his chair. "If I've learned anything, it's that I need a warmer climate."

"Well, it's not exactly warmer, but what would you say if I told you I can promise you a change of scenery, at least for a couple days?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

"I'm listening," he sat up and looked to her with excitement.

"I may have purchased some tickets to a baseball game," she told him.

"Baseball?" he frowned. "Okay," he nodded. "You love baseball. I tolerate it. Wait, where? We can't watch the Dodgers, can we?"

"No," she sighed as she shook her head. "Someone at work had tickets, but they can't go. They put up a notice in our break room. I asked, and well," she smiled, "we're going to a game."

"You didn't tell me the team. Who is the team around here?" he asked, realizing he didn't know that much about Ohio.

"In this part of the state, the Cleveland Indians. We're going to watch a baseball game in Cleveland."

"Cleveland? Sharon, I was picturing sunny and warm. Cleveland, that's another cold place, even colder. I've heard the weather guy on tv talk about the lake effect snow junk, and when he tries to explain it, he always mentions Cleveland."

"Maybe," Sharon shrugged, "but, it's baseball, Rusty! I thought you would be more excited. I booked a hotel room, and for at least a couple days, we can get out of here. We can enjoy a city again."

"Okay," Rusty nodded as Sharon explained it. "I guess that sounds cool. When is it? Do they play baseball in the snow, Sharon?"

She sighed as she tried to be patient with Rusty, "It's in a couple weeks after the season opens. We're going the middle of April, over a weekend, so school isn't a problem."

Rusty looked to her, "Thanks, Sharon. I know you really want to go. The trip sounds nice. Oh, wait," he paused, "Are you going to make me buy and wear Cleveland Indian clothing? Please, Sharon," he groaned.

She held back a smile as Rusty threw his fit. She waited until he finished talking, "I did get us each a shirt, but I thought that would help us blend in easily."

Rusty thought and then nodded, "Yeah, okay, but no hat."

"I won't make you wear a hat. I'll buy one for myself," she smiled.

"Deal," he agreed. "Man, if Lieutenant Provenza knew you'd changed teams, he'd be mad, the lieutenant too."

Sharon hummed, "Well, I think they'd be pleased we are at least going to a baseball game. Cleveland doesn't normally play the Dodgers."

"I guess that's good," he looked to her. "Wait, did you buy all sorts of other team stuff, like chair cushions and all? You're not going to be one of those crazy fans, are you?"

Sharon put her head in her hands as she chuckled, "No, I did not buy anything else, just the shirts, and I will buy my hat. I did do something else, though," she said and then shook her head.

"What?" Rusty asked, as if he could sense the change in tone in her voice.

Sharon took a deep breath before she answered, "I shipped a Cleveland Indians bobblehead to Emily."

Rusty's eyes grew wide, "Wait, what? I thought we couldn't contact anyone."

Sharon waved him off so she could explain, "I know, listen. My store has a huge Cleveland Indian display. I helped to create it," she rolled her eyes. "I've been thinking for a long time about a way to contact the kids without contacting them. My store ships items out all the time, and the return address just shows up as the shipping center here in Ohio; it does not indicate a real location at all. You know the department store is all over, so it isn't giving much away. I also did not put any sort of note in it, nor did I write out anything on the box. I paid for it and put the request through for it to be shipped. I am hoping she will at least figure out I sent it, and we are safe, even if we can't contact her. I thought about just what to send her, and that seemed to be the least visible. I didn't want to send her a shirt. That's almost advertising everything."

"Whoa, that's like breaking the rules, Sharon," Rusty said as his eyes got large.

She shrugged, "I'd like to see it as a gray area. I didn't make actual contact, and she doesn't know that it is from me. I sent it to Emily because I was worried Ricky would just assume one of his fraternity brothers was playing a joke on him."

"Everyone from your division would be shocked, Sharon," he continued. She shrugged.

"I've dealt with my share of gray areas before. I think Stroh is long gone from the United States, but I understand this is for our best right now. I hope Emily will figure it out, at least realize I was the one who sent it to her."

"I'm going to remember that gray area stuff when I get in trouble next time," he grinned. Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Try me," she challenged him. "I can still be your worst nightmare," she said while trying to hold her straight face.


	6. Chapter 6

Andy strolled into the Murder Room. He felt relaxed and refreshed; it had been good to take almost two weeks off, and he was looking forward to doing it again soon. When he'd broached the idea with Chief Taylor, the idea of using more of his vacation days, Taylor had been fine with it. He'd even suggested, that if Andy was okay with it, to take the leave in bigger increments. It would be easier that way, knowing that when the team caught a case, it normally tied them up for a few days at a time. This way, Andy wouldn't be in and out as much during the cycle of a case. He might miss a case all together, which was actually easier on the team.

"Well, our rent-a-cop finally decided to show up and grace us with his presence. What's the matter, Flynn? Are you running out of cash and needed to work?" Provenza asked. Andy rolled his eyes at him, of course, both men knowing that Andy was still collecting his normal paycheck while on his vacation leave. Andy decided not to address the rent-a-cop comment.

"You're just jealous you didn't have the idea first, the idea to use more vacation time. Anything that gets me away from Davis is good with me. She's not lurking around this morning, is she?" Andy asked the group as he glanced around the office. Sharon's office was dark and unchanged. "Oh, and good morning everyone EXCEPT PROVENZA," he enunciated. The rest of the team chuckled.

"No, Lieutenant. We haven't seen her today, but she was up here yesterday. Maybe she won't bother us today," Buzz told him. "Welcome back. Enjoy your time off?"

Andy nodded, "I did. Two weeks away from this place, and I almost feel human again. Not to worry because I'm sure the dirt bags will show their true colors soon enough. Do we currently have a case?"

"No Sir," Julio shook his head as he began to explain. "We closed a case two days ago. Yesterday, we finished the last of the paperwork, so we are working a cold case today. It was Tao's turn to pick out the case."

"Great," Andy smirked. "I'm guessing we are looking at one that has all sorts of odd evidence."

"Good guess," Mike smiled. "Welcome back, Andy."

"Lieutenant, what did you do on your vacation?" Amy asked. "I really could use one myself, so please tell me you did something I'll be jealous about, please." She offered a small smile as she looked to Andy. He got situated in his chair and turned on his computer. While he waited for it to start for the day, he told the team about his time away.

"Well, I basically could say this was family time, or kid time. I flew to New York and saw Emily and Ricky. We had a nice visit, sad, but nice. They really miss Sharon, and I was glad to finally hand-deliver the letters she had written them. It was cold; last week of March can be iffy with weather, and we had snow one day I was there. That was almost nice, to have some snow. Ricky and I saw Emily dance. Man, she's a good dancer," Andy shook his head as the team listened. "It was really good to see her dance. She looks so much like Sharon and acts a lot like her too," he sighed again. "By chance, Ricky and I had the same flight to Denver before we had different flights to the West Coast. It was really nice to spend time with the two of them. I'm hoping to see them again at the end of the summer or early fall. I need to start looking at dates. Anyway, I spent a week with them, and then I was home here the first week of April to watch Nicole's boys after Easter. They were on spring break, and we had a lot of fun. I'm not sure I'm as well-rested as I should be," he chuckled. "Those two monkeys wore me out, but I had a great week with them and cooked dinner each night for Nicole, Dean, and the boys. I was glad to help them this past week."

"Sounds like a very good trip, Lieutenant, some good time off," Amy smiled softly and nodded.

"Thank you. It was," he nodded in agreement.

"So, Lieutenant," Julio offered a grin, "when is your next trip, and where are you going? I hope you are taking some of this time to travel."

"Yeah," Andy sighed. "I am. I'm not sure where I'm going to go yet. I'm thinking about checking last minute airfares when the time comes, you know, be spontaneous," he shrugged. "There are always last-minute deals to resorts and tropical locations."

"You, spontaneous?" Provenza asked, rejoining the conversation. He'd started working on his crossword puzzle after Andy had come in for the day, but everyone knew he was good at working on his crossword while listening to the office conversation."

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Andy argued.

"I wouldn't call your two-year interest in the captain spontaneous," he pointed out. "Had she not left, you wouldn't have said anything to her, and we'd all still be stuck here watching that disaster. I'd rather watch paint dry; at least with that, there's actually progress!"

"Stuff it," Andy gestured toward Provenza with one hand. "For that, I will go somewhere for fun, on a whim, and I'll clog up your phone with text message and pictures while I''m gone. I'll have Buzz set you up on all the social media platforms where you won't know how to hide or unsee all my tropical pictures. It will be great. Now, can we get back to work, or in Provenza's case, start working?"

"I don't even know what half of that means," Provenza gestured with his hand.

Again, Andy had chosen to ignore Provenza's comment about Sharon. His comment about saying anything to Sharon was of course, in reference to Andy telling Sharon he loved her before she and Rusty were taken away by the Feds. The Feds hadn't allowed Sharon and Rusty to go home and pack a bag after Stroh escaped. It had been too risky, but Andy had volunteered to do it for them. He realized that meant getting a little personal with both, as he would have to pack private items for them, but considering the alternative of taking nothing at all, Andy was sure Sharon would agree to that. She had, and he packed as much as he could in the hour they had given him to drive to the condo, pack, and return. He knew Sharon would want her make-up, so he'd grabbed one bag and dumped everything from her vanity drawers he could fit. He knew she preferred sweaters at home, so he had collected her three favorites. He'd pulled four pairs of Sharon's shoes, leaving her heels for the time being. He'd grabbed her extra glasses, just in case, as well as the book she had on her nightstand. When he approached her dresser full of clothing, he'd just grabbed and stuffed shirts, pants, and undergarments, moving as quickly as he could. Had the situation not been as serious and as threatening, Andy knew Provenza would have had a thing to say about Andy digging through Sharon's undergarments, but at the time, the team was focused on the gravity of the situation. He repeated the motions for Rusty's room, but knowing Rusty didn't care as much, Andy spent more time gathering things for Sharon. He'd even put in one of her favorite designer purses. Sharon didn't like purses like Chief Johnson had, but she had two, in particular, she liked to alternate. The last thing he put with Sharon's things was a blanket. He knew there wouldn't be an issue with the blanket; it was just a blanket, but it was Sharon's favorite blanket. It had become Andy's favorite too, one they shared often while watching tv or movies together at the condo.

So, Andy had packed. He'd packed up Sharon and Rusty as quickly as he could and was back at the station in the allotted time. He had to beg for one last opportunity to see Sharon; the Feds wanted to move quickly, but he was insistent. Luckily, he had Fritz who could step in and help. He was given two minutes to say good-bye to Sharon and Rusty, and for once, he was grateful the kid was wise enough to give him a moment alone with Sharon.

The two had been placed in Taylor's office with uniforms and security throughout his suite. As Andy was escorted to them, he nodded to the many uniforms he recognized. As soon as the door was opened for him, his eyes locked on Sharon's. She had been pacing the room and turned when she heard the door open. Rusty, who had been near the door, was quickly by Andy's side.

 _"Lieutenant, they are taking us away," he said with a panicked voice. "I don't want to leave. I don't have any of my things, and I don't want to leave home. This was home."_

 _Andy had placed his hands on Rusty's shoulders, and he felt Rusty relax. "I just came from the condo. I was allowed to go and back a bag for each of you. They wouldn't let you two go, but your mom said I could go. I grabbed as much as I could for you. They are going through it right now to make sure nothing is questionable, and they are promising to send more of your things. I will personally watch that when they pack, okay?" he met Rusty's gaze and waited until Rusty met his before he released his hands from Rusty's shoulders. Rusty just nodded to him in silence. "Rusty" Andy called to him and waited again for his attention. "You be safe. Watch out for Sharon. Take care of each other. Know how proud I am of you for everything. Study hard in school and make a difference in this world. Don't let one disgusting dirt bag control your future, even if it must be altered right now. You hear me?" he asked. Rusty just nodded and looked away. He quickly gave Andy a hug and moved away, not wanting Andy to see him with tears in his eyes._

 _"I'll go step outside so you can tell Sharon bye," he said. "They told us it was time to go. By, Lieutenant," Rusty said sadly and nodded to him. Andy nodded in return, unable to say anything more to him._

 _Sharon and Andy waited until the door had closed, and both rushed across the room. Andy pulled her into a tight embrace; he could feel her shaking._

 _"It's okay," he sighed as he held her as tightly as possible. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her hair before he kissed the side of her head. He felt his shirt getting wet, and he knew Sharon was crying._

 _"I don't want to leave, but I can't send him away," she said as she cried. Andy just nodded in understanding. "I know we don't have much time. I wrote the kids letters, and I hate to ask, but could you hand deliver them? I'm sure Ricky will come down here at some point; you can give both letters to him. I just don't want to mail them-" she started to ramble, and Andy stopped her by putting his hands around her face. "Just one more things," she said before he could speak, "They had paperwork for me to sign over a power of attorney on things at the condo and all. I listed you and hope it's okay."_

 _"Done," he said. "You don't need to ask. Let's not waste time on little things. I'll make sure as much of your stuff is sent to you. I'll take care of everything at home. Sharon, I don't want to say good-bye," he said, as held back his own sob_

 _"Andy, I can't tell you what you mean to me," Sharon said between sobs. Andy just nodded. He let go of his grip and pulled back enough to look Sharon in the eye._

 _"You mean the world to me. You've made me want to be a better man. My only regret is not telling you this sooner; I always thought we had time, that we'd figure our relationship out in time. I love you, Sharon. I have for over a year now. You need to know that. I will always love you. I want you to be happy, to live your life. You start over with Rusty. I know this isn't what we wanted, but I love you too much to try to keep you here. You're safe with Rusty away from here."_

 _The tears continued to run down Sharon's face as she listened to Andy. She nodded and looked back to him. "I love you too," she said as she tried to smile between her tears. "You know, Jack and the divorce, it was more than just about wanting to adopt Rusty," she stated._

 _"I know," he whispered quietly. "I figured we would discuss it in time." She just nodded. "July 29," he told her. She looked to him with question in her eyes. "Nicole's wedding, our first date, sort of," he smiled. "Although, a certain boss of mine, who shall remain nameless, didn't want to call it a date. July 29, that's our date. I'll think of you always, but do something special on that day. I will too. We can keep that date."_

 _Sharon nodded as she listened. It was clear she was about to break down. "I don't want to say good-bye," she sobbed._

 _"Then don't," he sighed. Just let me hold you until you have to go. "No words," he said. She nodded, and the two embraced each other again. They stood like that for a few moments until a soft knock at the door came. Neither said anything, and neither moved. They heard the door open, and one of the agents, spoke._

 _"It's time to go," he told them and waited. Andy nodded and held up a hand in acknowledgement of the request. He pulled back to meet Sharon's gaze again._

 _"Know that I love you, always. Like you tell the kids, be safe and kind," he said quietly as he tried to smile at using her line. She smiled and quickly looked away. Andy nudged her head with his. When her eyes met his again, he kissed her. The two had kissed each other on the cheek before, and at Christmas, they'd had a quick kiss under the mistletoe the kids seemed to have strategically placed in both Sharon's office after the Christmas party and again later at the condo one evening he'd stopped by to see everyone, but this kiss was different. It held sorrow, passion, and love, but it didn't hold a promise. Neither could promise they would see each other again. When they finally broke apart, Sharon stepped away. She moved toward the door and the agent, but she walked backwards with her eyes still locked on Andy. The agent touched her arm at the door, and she offered a simple wave to Andy before she was gone._

"Flynn! Would you stop daydreaming? Honestly, you might as well still be on vacation. You're just a distraction sitting there with your thoughts," Provenza exclaimed. "Get to work."

"Sorry," Andy frowned. He hated being pulled from his memory, even if it was a painful memory to relive. He was sure now the date of his summer trip. It would need to be over July 29; he needed to be out of town on that day, anywhere but LA. Yes, he was going to have to find a resort or something to visit and live the day as he promised Sharon.


	7. Chapter 7

"Rusty! Let's get moving," Sharon called down the hall toward his room. It was now the end of April; spring was finally showing signs of life in Ohio, which meant a new task was presenting itself for Sharon and Rusty-mowing the lawn. Sure, Sharon had cut the grass plenty when she and Jack had owned their home. After Jack had taken off, Sharon had tried to keep up with it while also working and taking care of the kids. Money was tight, so tight she had held off hiring any help. Finally, after she received a promotion, she'd hired some neighborhood kids to cut it until Emily and Ricky had gotten old enough to cut it. They'd taken care of their share of lawns, but with condo life and before that, street life, Rusty hadn't shared the experience, until now.

"Sharon, I am not sure this is a good idea," Rusty told her as he shuffled down the hall. Sharon was standing in the living room in old jeans and a t-shirt, ready to start tackling some of the yard work. She was going to show Rusty how to use the lawn mower and then trim the bushes. The house they'd been put in and were renting, had potential, but the yard needed work. Sharon was looking forward to getting outside. She hadn't missed working in the yard with the condo; she was too busy, but with her current schedule, she was home much more. Her current work schedule had been altered slightly to where she worked one weekend a month, but even with that, she was still given two days off in exchange during the week. Her workload was nothing like it had been at the LAPD.

"And, why wouldn't this be a good idea?" she gestured toward the window to indicate the yard. "It's finally a beautiful day, and it's not too hot. There's no snow, which is something you've wanted since we moved here. We're a team; the yard needs to be cut, and the bushes need to be trimmed."

"Well, I have finals coming up in a week," he pointed out. "I really should study."

Sharon pursed her lips and shook her head, "You have finals in two classes. You told me you had projects in the others, so that's not an excuse. An hour or two outside will be good for you; it will be good for both of us. Let's go."

Rusty sighed and shook his head; he knew it was a losing battle. He followed Sharon outside and raised his eyebrow to her, "The lawn mower isn't even put together all the way, Sharon. It looks like it did when we bought it last week."

Sharon just nodded, "Very good observation, Rusty. Let me know what you are done assembling it, and I'll show you how to use it."

"You mean you're just going to leave me here alone?" he scowled.

"No," she smiled sweetly and continued, "I'll be over there trimming bushes," she gestured to the front of the house. She turned and walked away from the garage where the lawnmower was partially assembled, but it still needed the handle to be put on it. Sharon was trying to teach a little tough love; she needed Rusty to figure out how to use some different tools around the house, as well as the lawn mower. He could do it; he just didn't want to do it. They'd made several trips to various home improvement stores over the last few weeks. They had bought things for the spring and summer, the lawn mower, being one of them. Sharon had bought gardening tools and some basic household tools. She knew Rusty would learn some valuable skills with their new life in Ohio.

Rusty found her 10 minutes later, "Okay, I think it's on there, the handle I mean. If it falls off, I'm not responsible."

"You put it on; that would be the definition of being held responsible. Besides, if it falls off, you'll be the one to figure that out. You're cutting the grass," she pointed out to him as she followed him back to the garage.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I don't even want a yard when I get my own place. I'd be fine in a condo or something. You don't cut the grass," he nodded to her.

"Oh, I most certainly have cut the grass," she chuckled. "I've cut my share of yards. You forget I had a different life before you."

"Oh, so you've been in witness protection before. Great, Sharon. Now you tell me," he teased. Sharon chuckled, glad to see Rusty laughing and smiling. She gestured for him to come over toward her so she could show him how to put in and check the oil as well as the gas. After that, she explained the basics to Rusty, and then, she gestured to the yard.

"It's not going to mow itself," she smiled.

"If we got a cow or a goat, it would," he grinned. "One thing I've learned about Ohio is that farm animals are good for eating the grass."

Sharon laughed, "We're not getting a cow or a goat. I have a Rusty," she teased. The two had dropped any attempt with their new names at home. They did a good job out in public around others, but at home, it seemed silly. "Hold on; I am going to take a picture."

"Of what?" he grimaced.

"You are cutting the grass. I do need to document this; it's a big moment. For me, I don't have the first day of school photos, well, your first day of college excluded," she smiled, "so, I am going to document anything new. You've never cut the grass, so here we go."

"I did help the lieutenant that one time we went over there for dinner, and he rushed to help you with the stuff in the car," Rusty pointed out.

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Rusty, you cut, what, maybe one row of grass that day? That's your definition of helping Andy?"

"I helped," he shrugged.

"Go," Sharon gestured. "Cut the grass. Do a good job. I want it to look nice for our dinner guests." Rusty grumbled, but he started moving. Sharon watched a few moments and took a couple of pictures before she walked back to work on the bushes. They were having some friends over for dinner. It was a first for them. They hadn't had anyone to the house yet, at least for dinner and a full evening. Rusty had a couple friends from school who had picked him up to go to the movies and such, but this would be their first real night with friends over. Sharon was in a Sunday School class with some other adults, and two couples had kids around Rusty's age. One had a daughter away in college, and the other couple had a son a year older than Rusty who was attending the same community college. Rusty had met him at church, but they hadn't spent much time together. Sharon was hopeful both she and Rusty would enjoy the evening and the company. She had plans to fix spaghetti with Andy's sauce; this would be a difficult night for her, even though she was looking forward to it. Their dinner guests were two married couples; Sharon was alone, and she knew she'd especially miss Andy tonight, so it seemed fitting to make his famous sauce. She got back to work, intent on sprucing up their house.

Two hours later, Sharon and Rusty were tired and ready to each get a shower. "You know; I didn't mind the grass as much as I thought," Rusty told Sharon. "I know I complained, but I'll cut it every week."

"Thank you, Rusty," Sharon nodded. "I appreciate it. We need to work together, so that would be a huge help around here."

"Yeah, I know you've done a lot for me, Sharon, way more than you should have ever had to do. You're trying to make things normal, and I get that. The baseball game last week was fun, the first fun I've had in a long time."

Sharon smiled as she nodded, "Same for me. I had a great time in Cleveland. It felt normal to travel, to go to a game, to even stay in a hotel. I finally feel like I'm accepting things, at least making the best of things." Their trip to Cleveland had been the same weekend as Sharon's birthday. She hadn't planned on that when she bought the baseball tickets at work, but it turned out to be a blessing. It made her birthday enjoyable, even if she couldn't celebrate it with all her family. Rust had bought her some Cleveland Indian souvenirs as birthday gifts and taken her to a nice restaurant for dinner. It had been a nice weekend.

"Me too," Rusty nodded. "Look, I'm going to try and be nice to Dave tonight. I know you like his parents, and I also know I'm good at shutting people out. I'll try to talk to him. I think he's taking summer school too, so maybe we'll even have a class together."

"Good," Sharon nodded. "I just want you to try, Rusty. I'm going to get a shower and get cleaned up for this evening."

Several hours later, Sharon and Rusty were in the kitchen together finishing their dinner preparations. Sharon had made Andy's sauce, and both she and Rusty agreed it tasted almost as good as when Andy would make it. Rusty had prepared the garlic bread, noodles, and was finishing the salad while Sharon took the cheesecake she'd made out of the oven.

"We haven't had cheesecake since we got here," Rusty grinned. "I'm really excited about that cheesecake."

Sharon frowned, "I hope it tastes good. It's not my old recipe, and I wasn't as happy with the mixture, but we'll see. I read the reviews, and people said this recipe was good. You can be the judge," she offered.

"No problem here," Rusty smiled. "So, what have you told these people about our past? I just want to make sure we're straight. I know what I think we're supposed to tell people."

"Just that we are from the San Francisco area. None of the adults have been to San Francisco, so that helps. They are all from Ohio, three from this area originally. The wives are teachers, friends for years," she added. "The one husband is an insurance adjuster, and the other is a banker. They know we were transferred here for work and that I work for the department store. I've just told them I'm divorced and had a messy situation with that. They know there's no ex-husband looming; I explained he took off years ago."

"Great, so I don't have to pretend dear old dad in your fantasy is Jack, do I?" he asked.

Sharon laughed at the thought, "No, just go with the idea that your dad left. That's true for you; my ex-husband leaving is true for me, and luckily you know enough about Jack that we can make that story true enough for each of us."

"Cool," Rusty nodded. The two had been instructed to lie as little as possible, which was ironic for witness protection. They had been told that it was easier to use the truth if they could. Names were not needed; divorce was common, and it wasn't a story people would press. Sharon knew that life, knew the heartache, and she could keep the story to mostly truths. Rusty was similar with not having a dad around; he could tell truths to that story as well.

"So, no siblings, though, right," he said.

Sharon sighed as she shook her head, "No, and I hate that part. I hate not being able to mention Emily or Ricky, but we stick to it just being you and me."

"Got it," Rusty nodded. The doorbell rang, and the two smiled. "Are you taking pictures?" he teased. "Our first party, Mom," he grinned.

Two hours later, Sharon caught Rusty's eye, and she smiled at him. Finally, she was feeling at home, at least more comfortable in Ohio. Rusty caught her attention.

"Mom," he called to her again. Her mind had drifted slightly, and she turned quickly to Rusty.

"Sorry," she smiled. They were all sitting around the table eating dessert now; dinner had gone well, and everyone had loved the spaghetti sauce. They had all taken a break from dinner to sit in the living room and visit, and now they were eating again.

"How are things at work?" Kathy turned toward Sharon and smiled at her. "Still in the men's department?"

Sharon nodded and smiled, "I am. I have a very good handle on all things in menswear. Chris isn't really interested in most of it, though."

"I don't need a bunch of suits right now," he grumbled.

"Well, even though I work in men's clothing, my discount still applies to the whole store. That, I like," she smiled.

"So, Mom, Dave and I were thinking about catching a movie. Are you cool with that?" Rusty asked.

Sharon looked around the table and saw friends, people who had become friends. They were all smiling and laughing, so she nodded to Rusty. "That sounds like a great idea. Have a nice evening."

Rusty and Dave left the house quickly leaving Sharon with her friends from church.

"So, I heard Chris mention he's taking summer school," Kathy stated.

Sharon nodded in agreement, "He is. He's trying to finish his degree as quickly as possible. He'd love to transfer into a four-year-school sooner than later."

"Oh, really?" Eric asked. "Ohio State?"

Sharon pursed her lips, "Hmm, he's not sure yet. We're still trying to get situated here in Ohio. Our next step, I suppose, will be to visit the campuses and find one he likes."

"I'm sure you'll have trouble sending him off, your only child," Becky added.

Sharon just nodded, "I suppose. It will be hard, yes, but if he's ready, he's ready. This was a big move; I'm not rushing him. He's got a good head on his shoulders."

"Well, keeping costs down by living at home and going to school here helps," Mike commented. He was the banker and Dave's father. "Dave is doing that and plans to go to hopefully Ohio State when he's done. He might consider Bowling Green too, but I think he'd rather live in Columbus. He likes a bigger city."

"Hmm, Chris too," Sharon nodded. "Time will tell," she shrugged.

"Well, it's getting late. We should be going," Becky nodded to her husband Mike. He returned the nod, and both couples stood.

"Dinner was wonderful, and we're so glad you invited us over," Kathy told Sharon. "You must get me that cheesecake recipe."

"I will," Sharon smiled. All the adults had raved about the cheesecake, and Sharon had smiled, not liking it as much as her old recipe. She looked to her friends, "I'm finally starting to feel settled. I'm glad you could all come for dinner," she smiled as she followed the four to the door.

"Oh, let us help you with the dishes," Becky turned to offer.

"No need," Sharon held up her hand. "I'll be fine. Enjoy your evening, and I'll see you in church tomorrow." After the four adults left, Sharon sighed as she looked around their small home. She'd added subtle touches here and there to conceal the drab color. Bright accent pillows were on the couches. She'd spruced up the kitchen with bright towels and a few accent pieces. The kitchen had a very basic set of white dishes, so she'd added some color with new mugs and serving bowls. She and Rusty had found some artwork, nothing like she had at home, but they'd put it on the walls. Back in her bedroom, she'd replaced her drab tan bedding with something much more her style. She'd bought new lamps and added a few pictures of Rusty, some from their baseball game and some from a dusting of snow they'd gotten in March. The shadowbox with the ballet slippers still stood front and center on her nightstand. Sharon smiled when she looked around the house; it felt a little more like home. There were big things missing, things she couldn't add. Pictures were what she missed the most. She missed having pictures around of her kids and of Andy. She could still see each picture and its location in the condo, but now, those were just a memory.

She sighed as she walked through the house and started to clean up dinner. It had gone well. It felt good, to entertain, to do something normal. Rusty had gone to the movies, and that too, felt normal. Sharon decided that she was going to finish cleaning the kitchen and was going to relax with a hot bath, a glass of wine, and a good book. That was about as normal as she could get with the resources she had at hand.


	8. Chapter 8

"You're avoiding me," Provenza mumbled as he pushed by Andy into his house. He made his way to the kitchen, and Andy sighed as he closed the door to follow Provenza.

"I'm not avoiding you," Andy complained. "I just saw you at work. I didn't feel like going to dinner with you and Patrice."

"There," Provenza pointed to Andy. "That's not like you. We always go to dinner. I didn't suggest sitting in the bar and watching me drink; I said dinner, even a healthy place. You and Patrice really should be the ones to eat together; she likes that healthy junk you like too. Now, got any chips?" Provenza started digging around in Andy's cabinets while Andy stood and watched him.

"That's precisely why I didn't want to go. You and Patrice. A couple. I just don't want deal with that right now. It's not Patrice," Andy said as he raised his hand. "It's just, well, you know Sharon and I always went to dinner after work, usually three or four nights a week plus the weekends. I, well, thanks for the offer, but I didn't feel like it," Andy explained.

"Fine, come over to dinner Saturday night, my place," Provenza told him as he found his stash of chips. "Patrice is cooking for me, and you're coming. You still have to eat, and she's around. I can't hide her because you're sad you lost your prom date," he grumbled. He started eating the chips and then began walking toward the living room couch with the bag. He stopped on the way to glance at the bookcases that were on both sides of the room. "Where did you get all these pictures? These are new."

Andy glanced toward Provenza, but he knew what he was asking, "Sharon's place. I told you I cleaned it out. She had a lot of pictures of us. It's funny she was hesitant to call our relationship anything, yet she had photos of the two of us everywhere. I couldn't stand the thought of packing them away. So, here they are, even some with Rusty too."

"It's depressing," Provenza grumbled as he moved to the couch. He flopped down and gestured to the television. "Game?" he asked.

Andy sighed as he shook his head. He moved and sat in his recliner and turned on the television. He quickly found a game to watch, and the two settled into silence. Andy broke it finally during a commercial.

"I can't believe she's been gone almost half a year," he sighed. He stood and moved to the bookcases to look at the pictures. Provenza continued to sit on the couch and eat chips while he watched Andy. It was now the end of May. June was just a couple days away, and with that, summer was upon them.

"It will get better, Flynn," Provenza told him. "You're taking vacation what, next week? Decide where you are going?"

"Not yet," Andy shook his head. "I figured I would book something this weekend. Yeah, I'm looking forward to another couple weeks away from work."

"It's not good for you to go through the motions every single day at work, come home, and sulk. You never want to go out with the team anymore, and aside from going to your meetings once a week, I don't think you are doing anything socially, are you?" Provenza asked.

"I see Nicole each week," he told him. "Don't feel like doing anything else. I'm fine here. Yard is looking good. At least I'm putting my time at home to good use. I repainted two rooms. I'm fine," he nodded. "Sharon's place is rented, and that took me a couple months to deal with too. Really, I'm okay. You don't need to worry; I don't want a drink."

"If you're fine, stop talking," Provenza said, now irritated. "The game is back on." The two settled in again to watch their baseball game. Over the next two hours, not much was said; the friends spent the evening watching the game together.

* * *

Out in Ohio, Sharon and Rusty were discovering the quick shift in temperatures.

"Sharon, I thought there were four seasons," Rusty complained as he walked into the house dripping with sweat. We skipped spring. We went from snow until mid-April, and now it's hot, like really hot. Did you know a lot of the houses and schools around here don't even have air conditioning? That's like not allowed or something."

Sharon sighed from the kitchen table where she was paying bills. She glanced to Rusty who was standing in front of the now open refrigerator drinking a sports drink. "Rusty, please close that. I turned on the air conditioner, and yes, I'm aware a lot of older homes and schools her don't have air conditioning. Yes, it gets hot. People just deal with it. They also spend a lot more time outside; it is a farming area, after all. You'll be fine, and there is no guarantee of air conditioning anywhere."

"Well, I didn't sign up for hot. I thought it was hot in places like Arizona and Florida," he grumbled.

"It's not even that hot here!" Sharon exclaimed. "Yes, it's warm, but Rusty, it's not that bad."

"Says the lady who didn't just cut the grass! Sharon, can we get like a riding lawn mower? I've seen those all around town. That would be awesome. I could just chill and ride around. I've got my music, and some of those even have a cup holder. Believe me, I've checked."

Sharon put her hand that was resting on the table up to her forehead to shield her laughter. She finally looked to Rusty and shook her head. "Close the refrigerator. You'll cool off in a minute. Manual labor is hot, but it's good for you to cut the grass. No, we are not getting a riding lawn mower. We don't even have a half acre of grass to cut. You'll survive."

"Now, at least I know what a half acre is! All people do around here is talk in acres. One guy in my Spanish class said he helps his dad with the 500-acre farm. 500 acres, Sharon! That's insane. Bet he has a riding mower," Rusty nodded.

Sharon bit her lip, "A riding mower would be the least of his worries. I'm sure he has a collection of tractors and combines. Maybe you should look there for a job," she shrugged. Rusty made a face at her and scowled.

"I'm not working with farming. Besides, the school bookstore said they were going to do interviews next week. I really think I'll get a job there," he told Sharon. Rusty was going a bit stir crazy, so Sharon suggested he find a part-time job in town. Living in a farming community, a lot of town centered on that. Rusty didn't want to do that, and he wasn't really interested in working in a restaurant. He'd found out the campus bookstore was going to hire a few people, and he was hoping to get a job there.

"If that falls through, maybe you should check into a job at the home improvement store," she threw him a fake smile. "Work long enough, you can save for your riding mower. I'm sure you can even get a discount."

Rusty shook his head and waved her off as he turned to walk back outside. He was doing fine, better, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, Sharon could tell he liked doing the yard work. Sharon turned her attention back to the bills at hand; she was doing fine too, not great, but fine. Both were safe, and that is what truly mattered.


	9. Chapter 9

Rusty got the job at the campus bookstore. He was delighted, and Sharon noticed his mood improved quickly. They hired him, and he started immediately. Fortunately, with the summer schedule, the bookstore wasn't too busy; it was a good time for Rusty to start working there. He ended up picking up three to four shifts a week, and after a week of it, he wasn't even complaining about cutting the grass. It seemed that Rusty was settling into things rather well. He even had several friends through school.

It was now Saturday evening; Rusty was working on campus, and Sharon had gone to a meeting at church. One thing she did like about the move was their church. She liked the people, and she felt connected, which was a welcome change after years and years of working such long hours where she never felt like she could give back to her church. Rusty had told Sharon he would cook dinner, as typically, Sharon's meetings ran late. She wasn't surprised to get a call from him on her way home.

"Hey, Sharon," he said when she answered the phone. "Are you still coming home for dinner?"

"I am," Sharon replied. "I just left the church, and I was going to stop at the store. We're out of your favorite cereal, so I should be home in a half hour. Are you still at work?"

"Ahh, no," Rusty replied. "I am home too, but I wanted to let you know I have a friend coming to dinner."

"A friend?" Sharon asked. "Okay, that's fine. Someone from school?"

"Yeah, we got to talking today on campus, and I hope it's not a problem. I wanted check before you got home," he told her.

"It's no problem. I'll be home soon and am looking forward to meeting your friend," she said.

"Bye, Sharon," Rusty replied and hung up.

Sharon continued through her errands, tired, after spending almost five hours at church over the course of the afternoon and evening. She was glad Rusty had invited a friend to dinner, but hoping she could get some rest later in the evening. Maybe Rusty and his friend would go to the movies or out with other friends. When she pulled into the driveway at home, she was a little surprised to see Rusty's friend had arrived before she had. That just meant she wouldn't have a second to freshen up or catch her breath. She collected the groceries and started for the house.

"I'm home," she called out when she entered, making sure to not call Rusty by his name. The two really had been doing well. It took a lot of effort and was something they had to think about constantly. It felt nice to just call each other by their real names while at home, almost like they were riding that gray area that Sharon now seemed to be fond of doing. "Smells good," she said as she put her purse down. Rusty appeared from around the kitchen corner.

"You're finally home," he said to her.

"Yes, my meeting at church ran long. Wait, where's your friend? The car in the driveway," she started to gesture and noticed Rusty was fidgeting and looking around. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I hope it's okay if I stay for dinner," she heard almost before she saw. She knew that voice, and her face turned to panic, surprise, excitement, all in a matter of a second or two until he appeared behind Rusty. Andy. He was wiping his hands on a towel, and Sharon didn't think before she dropped her grocery bag and flew toward him. He caught her in his arms; she knocked the wind out of him.

"Andy, what are you doing here?" she exclaimed, total surprise and shock evident in her voice. "Did they get him? Did they get Stroh?" Andy continued to hold her tightly; neither wanted to let go. She felt his hand on her head, and before she realized it, she had tears streaming down her face. Their last embrace had been similar, but the tears had been those of sorrow, of loss, and here he was in her living room again.

"Shhh," he said as he continued to hold her. She dug her hands into his shoulders, not wanting to let him go. She continued to cry and broke into a sob before she even realized that too. "It's okay," he said. "I found you."

The two held each other a few more seconds, before Andy pulled back. "Let me see you," he said. He smiled at Sharon and used his hand to wipe her tears. "You cut your hair. I like it," he smiled. Sharon had cut her hair when they'd moved, not by a lot, but it was shorter. She'd kept it shoulder length, enjoying the new look as well. It was a subtle change, but one she'd found to like.

"My makeup," she let out a nervous laugh as she gestured to her face. "Oh, you're shirt," she ran her hand down his shirt. She'd cried so much, she'd caused her mascara to run onto his shirt. She took a deep breath when she really began to realize Andy was standing before her in a dress shirt, jeans, and his loafers. He was here.

Andy just shrugged and wiped her face with his hand, "I haven't seen you in almost half a year. I can deal with mascara running." He wiped her face again, and Sharon wrapped her hands around his wrists. She looked up to him and shook her head, wondering if she was dreaming. She caught Rusty's movement out of the corner of her eye and shifted her gaze to him just briefly.

"It's not a dream, Sharon," he said as he leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. "I've just had a couple hours to deal with it myself."

Sharon shook her head again in an almost sob and looked back to Andy. He leaned in and kissed her; she quickly returned it; neither cared if Rusty was standing there or not. When they broke apart, Sharon had questions.

"Did they get him? That's why you're here?" she asked. Andy rested his forehead against hers as she tried to continue.

He ran his hands over her shoulders until she'd fired off all her questions. His eyes met hers, "No, they haven't found him. I check in with Fritz every week to see what he's heard, sometimes more than that. I know he's tired of it, but I can't help myself. I found you on my own, well, that is, after we got your big clue."

Sharon's eyes grew wide, as she processed what Andy had said. She pulled back slightly, still in Andy's grasp, but enough to gain more space.

"You found us?" she said now almost in a panic.

"Hey," he ran his arms on her shoulders. "Let me explain. I know this is a shock." He wiped his own face, and Rusty jumped in again.

"You weren't the only one crying, Sharon. The lieutenant broke down with me. Now, I kept my cool," he grinned. "You two," he gestured to them, "are a mess."

Sharon's eyes just darted between Rusty and Andy, not sure what to do. She knew she was in a state of shock, so Andy gestured to the living room. "Can we sit?"

Sharon just nodded, and she took his hand in hers as they walked to sit down. She wiped her face again with her free hand, unwilling to let Andy's hand out of her grip. "I can't believe you found us."

"You always said I was your best detective, even before I was your favorite detective," he offered a small smile and squeezed her hand. Sharon wiped her face again as she waited for him to talk. Truthfully, she didn't have words in the situation.

"Emily got your package," he told them. Rusty had followed behind and was sitting in the recliner they had added to the room. He'd found it in a furniture store on sale when they were shopping for a bookshelf and desk. Sharon and Andy were on the couch, and it was only then, Sharon noticed Andy's sport coat was draped on the back of the loveseat. "She got the package back in March and called me right away. She didn't realize it was from you at first. She was worried Stroh or someone was stalking her, so she called me in a slight panic."

"I didn't mean to scare her," Sharon shook her head.

"I know," Andy patted her hand. "She's fine, and in fact, once we figured it out, she was really glad you'd sent it. Now, back to the package that she got. She got it late one night after she returned home from work. You know how late her shows go," Andy added, and Sharon nodded. "Anyway, she called me in a panic. I'd just left work and was heading home. I even pulled off the road so I could focus on her. Anyway, she told me it was a Cleveland Indian bobblehead from a department store she'd not shopped at before. She also said, of course, there was no return address, other than the shipping label, and there was no card or invoice. Right away, I had suspicions you might have sent it. I know you are resourceful and sneaky," he smiled warmly at her. He glanced to Rusty, and then he continued. "So, I told her I didn't want to talk about it on the phone, but I felt like it was probably just a mistake in shipping. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would be listening to our conversation, but I didn't want to take a chance. I told her I'd look into it and to not worry."

"So, what did you do?" she asked.

"I thought about it the rest of the way home and knew you would try to reach out if you could, in a way that only we would all understand. You sent it to Emily over Ricky because you knew she'd pay attention to detail. She did," he smiled. "You should be proud of her. She saved the box and all until I got there in person."

"You went to New York?" Sharon asked, her eyes wide again.

"I did," he nodded. "I'll get to that. I've been doing a lot of traveling. Hold on," he squeezed her hand. "You wanted to let us know generally where you were, and you sent a bobblehead because you knew I'd pick up on that from making fun of the ones on my desk and Provenza's desk. So, the next day, just to calm Emily's nerves until I could speak to her in person, I sent her an email picture of my desk and Provenza's desk. She said when she got the email, it clicked, and she realized why we needed to drop the issue for the time being. I saw her not long after when I flew there before Easter. Ricky met us too; I spoke to both of them about everything, and as much as they wanted to help, I asked them to stay out of it for now. I asked them to continue to live their lives as if they knew nothing because the last thing I want to do, and the last think you want to do, was to put them in danger."

"I don't want that at all," she shook her head. "Easter to now, Andy," she shook her head and continued, "how did you figure it out?"

"I started digging," he said. "You forget that I know you well, and I know how you think. I've been so antisocial back at home because I've been doing all this work in the evening and on my own. Provenza thought I'd started drinking again, which," he met Sharon's gaze, "has not been an issue. I have missed you like crazy, but I knew that you'd come out of hiding to kick me to the curb if you knew I gave in and turned to the bottle. I've been down, but not depressed to drink." He wanted to clarify that for Sharon; he had no idea if she had been worried about that over the last few months.

Sharon chuckled a little, and Rusty started laughing too. Sharon and Andy were so focused on each other, they'd almost forgotten Rusty was sitting in the same room. "You're probably right about that," she said quietly as she wiped her face. Sharon didn't know why the tears kept streaming down her face.

"Anyway, I set up a board of sorts in my closet, behind my suits, almost like the murder board" he grinned. "I worked from there. I started researching and discovered the department store had six stores in the state. I wasn't sure at the time how that fit, but I knew it had to fit somehow. I was glad that was the department store you sent the bobblehead from because as I started to research, I found that it wasn't a popular one in Ohio. There are others that are really popular with 15-30 stores, but this one only had six. So, from that, I started looking at the cities where the stores were located. I knew a few things from you. I knew you would want to be close to a college for Rusty, and before you left, you'd specifically said you wanted him in a community college. That much, I knew," he took a breath. "I started to narrow the search a little until I found three stores that fit the criteria. Then, I knew you most likely would live within an hour's drive, but that was even a stretch. I drew circles around that, knowing it was going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"How did you get from that to this," she gestured to the house.

"As well as I know you," he told her, "I knew you would want Rusty to be close to his school. You'd sacrifice for that. That helped me eliminate towns further away from his school. Sharon, I've been working this almost around the clock since Emily called. I've made two trips, and I've been scouring this state for you. I wasn't sure I'd find you, but I was determined to look in every small town in this state if I had to do so."

"I just can't believe this," Sharon shook her head. "I'm not sure whether to be impressed or panicked. Andy, if you found us," she shook her head and looked away.

"Hey," he said quietly to get her attention. "I had a lot of clues; you gave me a lot of clues. Let's not forget that I think by now, I know you better than almost anyone. I haven't left a trail; you two are still safe."

"How can you be sure, Lieutenant?" Rusty asked a question Sharon had. She looked to him and then back to Andy.

"I told you this is my second trip. My first was much shorter; I didn't have a lot of time, but I wanted to start. I started in a different part of the state, and I did it on a long weekend we were off, just before Memorial Day. We had a Friday off because we'd worked almost 10 days in a row. No one knows I've been doing this or even went out of town. I told Provenza I would be with Nicole, and I told Nicole I had to work. I hate lying to them, but I know it's for your safety. I started on a whim," he shrugged. "I haven't flown into anywhere in Ohio. The first time, I flew into Lexington, Kentucky, and I drove up from there. I've been renting a very non-descript car, and I've made sure to sightsee along the way. No one has followed me; that I am sure. I checked out an area in the southern part of the state, but something about the Indians told me you'd be further north. I figured it you were in the south, you would have sent something for the Reds. Anyway, I didn't have a lot of time that weekend; I spent most of it flying, but that was my first trip."

Sharon just shook her head in surprise, and then she asked, "Where did you fly this time?"

"Chicago," he told her. "I drove over from Chicago. This time, I took two weeks off."

"You have two weeks?" she said, as she looked to him with a hopeful smile.

He gave a soft smile which turned to a frown, "I had two weeks. Had. I don't have much time left on this trip. I fly back Monday morning. The team was already off Monday, so that worked with my schedule. We pick up on Tuesday morning again. Sharon, I've spent the last almost two weeks trying to find you both. I thought I was going to go home empty-handed again, but I knew I would keep trying. The team thinks I'm about to fall off the deep end and need time to meditate and relax. They think I'm on some tropical vacation. I've told them that I pick destinations at random, last minute. I just knew, deep down, I could find you."

Sharon had tears running down her face again, "How did you find us?"

He sighed, "I have been focusing on community colleges within a radius of the department store or stores, since I had several locations around the state to check out. I went to the community college, and I've just been watching. I've been here two days, and I wish I'd found you two sooner. I finally saw Rusty today. I was also hopeful Rusty would be in summer school. I've been hanging around the English buildings. I'm sure I look like a stalker, but I took my computer and tried to look like I was just working. I went into the bookstore today to get something to drink."

"See, Sharon," Rusty grinned as he met her glance, "the bookstore job was a good idea."

Sharon took a deep breath, "You found Rusty at the bookstore? We can't be safe."

"Sharon, I promise you. I had the clues. Stroh does not, and we don't even know if he's looking for you and Rusty. That was a precaution. All the intel Fritz has is that Stroh is out of the country. I promise. I wouldn't have even come to the state if I thought I would jeopardize things. I haven't said a word. I told Emily and Ricky not to ask; they realize your safety is at stake. I only told them the bobblehead was meant for us to know you two were safe. They are smart kids; I'm sure they know me well enough to know I'd look for you, but they have no idea I'm here. No one does, not even Provenza," he explained.

Sharon covered her mouth, "I just can't believe you are here," she said again. She wiped away more tears. "I want to yell at you for this, but I already told Rusty I'm living in the gray area. He was shocked I sent that to Emily. I hoped she would reach out to you."

"Lieutenant, it's like Sharon has gone rogue. Your rule-following boss has been skirting the rules around here. Ohio has sent her to the dark side," Rusty nodded as he grinned.

Sharon let out a half laugh, half sob, as she nodded. Andy smiled softly and pulled her to his side.

"You're shaking, Sharon," he said quietly. "It's okay. I think you're almost in shock."

"I think I am," she said tearfully. Andy looked to Rusty, and he nodded to him. Yes, they'd been apart for a long time, but Rusty understood and got up to find Sharon's sweater. He brought it over and handed it to Andy. Andy pulled away only long enough to wrap it around Sharon and pull her back to his side.

"It's okay," he whispered again. "I was worried I'd never see you again," he sighed. "Believe me, I know this is a lot. I did break down when I saw Rusty in the store."

"You and me both," Rusty said. I ran into a display and knocked it over, and it was worse because I was carrying a stack of boxes."

Sharon looked to the men, and both nodded. She shook her head in disbelief. "I just can't believe this. I, umm, I, well, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would walk in and see you standing in the kitchen. Do we have to alert anyone?" she shook her head.

"That was the point-for you to never imagine I'd be the dinner guest," he winked as he looked to her. "Better here than at your church," he grinned. "It took everything I had not to come find you at church. That was the other thing, church. In my travels, I've tried to be around the local church on Sunday mornings. I knew you would go. That was my last hope tomorrow. I was going to go to the church and see if you showed up for Mass. As far as alerting the authorities, the Feds, we can talk about that later, but I would like to see it as another gray area."

Sharon nodded and then let out another sob; she just couldn't believe it. Andy gripped her tighter and just held her while she tried to process everything. "Where have you been the past two weeks then? You said you drove over from Chicago."

"Who knew Ohio had so many presidents?" Andy chuckled. "I spent the first week, as painful as it was, visiting presidential homes. It's almost as boring as it sounds, but it was the one way I could assure I hadn't been followed. I visited their libraries or homesteads," he shook his head in a chuckle. "Rusty," he turned to him and said, "trivia time, ready? How many presidents are from your new state?"

"I'm shocked there are any at all. This state is so strange. We've had crazy snow, and now it's hot. It's so flat here. The land of bland, Lieutenant," he shook his head. "I don't know, two?"

"Eight," Andy chuckled. "I can tell you all about them."

"I'm good," he grinned. "Oh, dinner," he jumped up and ran to the kitchen. "Sharon, we made vegetable lasagna."

Sharon let out a sigh and shook her head against Andy. "I can't believe you are here," she whispered again as he continued to hold her. He kissed her head, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"I've missed you so much," he told her while the two heard Rusty in the kitchen. "I have thought about you every second of the day. It's been torture, but I can only imagine how hard it's been for you. I want to hear everything."

Sharon just nodded, "I have so much to tell you," she wiped her tears again. "I am still just overwhelmed."

"Well, let's get some food in you, hmm?" he asked. "You're not shaking anymore. Think you can eat some food? I made my specialty."

Sharon let out a quick laugh, "Oh, I've missed your lasagna. I couldn't bring any of my cookbooks."

"I know," Andy said and kissed her head again. "I've got everything at the house. We can talk about it later. Let's just take a deep breath and calm down. It's been an emotional day, believe me." Sharon nodded, and Andy stood. He pulled Sharon up with him and looked to her. "Would you like to freshen up, wash your face?" he asked. "I don't mind it at all," he smiled warmly, "but, I know it might help calm your nerves."

Sharon nodded and reached for his hand, "Only if you walk back there with me. I just can't let you go right now."

"Deal," he smiled as he put his hand in hers. "Show me this house," he gestured to the hallway. "Rusty and I never got to that; we started right away on dinner. We wanted to surprise you with dinner. Obviously, I knew I was going to be a bit of a surprise."

"A bit," Sharon chuckled, as Andy followed her down the hall, his hand still in hers.

"Yeah, you know," he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just glad you didn't bring some other guy home for dinner." Sharon finally relaxed as she started to laugh. Andy was here. He couldn't stay long, but he'd found them, and for now, she planned to enjoy every minute.


	10. Chapter 10

**Someone asked what Sharon's name was now, and here you go...enjoy!**

* * *

"Is Sharon okay?" Rusty asked Andy when he reappeared in the kitchen. Andy had spent almost 10 minutes with Sharon back in her bedroom and bathroom area trying to calm her enough so they could eat.

He nodded toward Rusty, "She'll be fine. She's just freshening up right now. I'm not sure she's done crying, but at least, now, they are happy tears." He offered a small smile as Rusty watched. Rusty nodded too and turned back to dinner. "What can I do to help?"

"You can pull out the salad I made and the dressing,' Rusty nodded toward the refrigerator. "There's water and lemonade to drink. Sorry, we don't have any of your cranberry juice. Sharon hasn't bought any since we arrived."

Andy nodded, noting all that Rusty had said. The two worked to finish dinner. Rusty had pulled the lasagna out of the oven while Andy and Sharon had been in the living room, and now, it was ready to serve. They both put everything on the table and waited for Sharon before they did anything else.

"Oh, dinner looks nice," Sharon said softly as she walked back into the kitchen. She'd changed her top; now, she had on a simple black t-shirt to go with her capris. She'd cried so much, she'd ruined both her shirt and Andy's. Sharon squeezed Rusty's shoulder as she walked by him, and she situated herself between Rusty and Andy at the round table. She quickly reached over and took hold of Andy's hand. He smiled at her and both looked to Rusty.

"Right, I'll say the prayer," Rusty took the hint from Sharon. He looked to Andy, "We've been praying a lot more at dinner here. We pray for all of you every night."

Andy squeezed Sharon's hand, and they listened while Rusty prayed. Once they had served the food and started eating, the conversation picked up again.

"So, tell me," Andy looked to Sharon as he was ready to take a bite of the lasagna, "How did the department store fit into everything? That's what I couldn't figure out from all this. I knew you had to have chosen it for a particular reason."

Sharon and Rusty shared a small smile, one Andy noted, and then she turned toward him, "I work there. That's how the idea came to me. My job here is in that department store."

Andy raised his eyebrows to Sharon, "You are working in a department store?" He started to chuckle and shake his head as he turned toward Rusty.

"Yeah," Rusty grinned. "You heard that right. They put Sharon in a department store. We haven't run out of money yet," he smirked. "Why do you think I go the job on campus? I'm worried she'll come home one day and tell me she used the grocery money for clothes."

Sharon rolled her eyes as she turned to Andy, "Yes, I work there; however," she paused as she threw a glance to Rusty, "I work in the men's department. I manage it along with other managerial roles."

Andy started to laugh, and he and Rusty grinned at each other. "They put you at a mall?" he chuckled. "Oh, that's funny. Maybe I should check out your closet and see what you've added to your wardrobe," he said jokingly as he started to stand like he was going to do just that. Sharon glared at him, and he sat back down and winked at her.

"I've missed you, that," she gestured toward him and their banter, "so much."

"Me too, Sweetheart," he squeezed her hand again.

"Because catching up with the two of you isn't awkward," Rusty teased to ease the conversation, "Lieutenant, I've got even more for you about Sharon's job."

"What's that, Rusty?" Andy asked as he worked on chewing some of his dinner.

"A couple weeks ago, Sharon made a new friend, the head of the loss prevention area," Rusty grinned. "Sharon caught a lady trying to steal. It was as close to police work as she's gotten."

Sharon rolled her eyes and felt Andy looking to her. She looked to him, and he was grinning, "Showing your true colors, I see?" he teased as he asked her the question. She shrugged.

"It wasn't a big deal. I caught a shoplifter. End of story," she explained. Andy raised an eyebrow to her and then turned to Rusty for the rest of the explanation.

"What she's not telling you is that she caught a lady stealing almost $1000 worth of merchandise. The loss prevention guy has since been trying to take Sharon to lunch as a thank you," he grinned. Sharon rolled her eyes again and turned to Andy.

"Really?" Andy teased.

"Hmm, yes," Sharon nodded, her lips pursed. "He's been persistent."

"Well, then it's a good thing I got here when I did," he winked to Rusty. Rusty just shook his head as he chuckled.

"Oh, yes, most definitely," Sharon said now, obviously teasing. "He's shorter than I am, extremely overweight, and he has a mustache."

Andy grinned as he chuckled, "You hate mustaches."

"I'm aware," she nodded. "Our location may have changed, but not my taste or standards. Besides, he almost reminds me of Provenza. I think the two could really be serious competition for each other in a doughnut eating contest."

"Lieutenant, the guy has called her almost every day to see if she's free for lunch," Rusty laughed.

Andy turned to Sharon, "Could you use a buffer?" he teased as his eyes sparkled. "You were a good one at Nicole's wedding. I could return the favor, Sharon." He winked, and Sharon laughed.

"You'll have to stop calling her Sharon," Rusty pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," he nodded to them. "What is the deal with your names? Rusty, had Chris on your nametag, right?"

"Yeah," Rusty nodded. "Chris Jenkins. It's weird, and I really have to try hard to remember it. It's just not me. Whatever. Sharon and I have been doing fine with our real names at home. We're just careful when we go out or anything."

Andy nodded and turned to Sharon, "So, care to share your name?" he grinned.

"Are you trying to pick me up?" she teased.

Rusty groaned, and the two laughed. "Please, it's like you two can't even talk without flirting. Let me just end it here. Lieutenant, she hates her name."

"What is it?" Andy asked again.

"She's Sandra Jenkins," Rusty told him.

Andy raised his eyebrows at Sharon, and she sighed. "I definitely did not pick my name. I even asked if they would reconsider and change it. They refused and said they already were too far into the process to change anything."

"It's not that bad, Sharon," Rusty told her. He turned back to Andy, "They said it was really for me, that if I messed up and started on the "S" sound, it wasn't too far off from Sharon."

Sharon turned to Rusty, "I didn't tell you why I dislike it so much," she explained.

"Which is?" Rusty asked.

"It's my ex-wife's name, Sandra," Andy sighed. He turned back to Sharon, "They really gave you the name Sandra?"

"This face," she gestured to her own face, "not joking."

Andy shook his head as he started to chuckle, "Of all the names."

"Hmm, I'm aware," she flashed a fake smile at him. "It's been extremely annoying. I think of her, which makes me think of you even more," she sighed.

"Well, now, happy memories again," he reached over to squeeze her hand. "Why don't I tell you some of the junk Provenza has been doing at home? He's still with Patrice, and let's just say the team is betting on the next Mrs. Provenza."

The three laughed as they continued to eat. Sharon told Andy about her job, and Rusty told him about school. They sat and talked for over an hour, and Rusty finally noticed just how late it was.

"Wow, it's almost 10," he said when he glanced to his phone. "I didn't know we had been at the dinner table that long."

"Thank you for cooking, Rusty," she nodded to him and smiled. She turned to Andy, "You too. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the lasagna."

"Great," he winked as he stood to help Rusty clear the plates. "There's plenty of leftovers, so even after I leave, you'll have it for a few days."

Sharon sighed as she stood and turned toward Andy, "You just found us. I can't believe you have to leave. What about tonight? Tomorrow?" She started to panic as she thought about the idea that Andy might be leaving them that evening.

"Hey," he walked over and stood in front of her. He squeezed her shoulder "I'm here until Monday morning when I have to drive back to Chicago. I already changed my flight to a late one, so I'll be here until almost lunch."

Sharon let out a long sigh, "Okay, okay." She nodded. "Wait, tonight? Where have you been staying? You don't have to leave do you?"

Rusty continued to do the dishes while Sharon and Andy stood talking. Rusty moved around them, gathering plates, and they didn't even notice. "I already checked out of my hotel," he told her. "I was staying in the city, not too far from the mall, he gestured. "I drove up there and picked up my things while Rusty was finishing his shift at work. Believe me, I wasn't about to leave you for a dull hotel room. I'll happily sleep here on your couch."

"You don't have to do that," Sharon protested at the same time Rusty joined the conversation.

"You can have my room, Lieutenant," he said.

"No," Andy shook his head. "No arguing. I'll be fine, more than fine," he smiled. "I'm just so happy I found you two, and I'd camp in the yard if it meant having more time here."

"Lieutenant, believe me, you don't want to camp," Rusty made a face. "There are like skunks, skunks, Lieutenant! I hate taking out the trash at night. I'm convinced I'm going to be sprayed."

Andy closed his eyes as he laughed. Sharon grabbed Andy's shoulder to keep herself from laughing too much. They both looked to Rusty, and he shrugged. "Laugh all you want; I don't do skunks."

Sharon nodded as she looked to Andy. For the first time in a long time, her eyes were sparkling. "Rusty has found rural life to be interesting."

"I gather," he chuckled. "I'm sure you have plenty of stories to share."

"Lieutenant, they moved us here in winter. WINTER!" he exclaimed. "Do you realize I now know 1-what a snow blower is and 2-how to use it? It's insane. I don't like farm life. Sharon's even got me cutting the grass here," he gestured to the yard. "Oh, which by the way, Sharon," he looked to her, "didn't happen today because of our visitor. I'll cut it tomorrow evening."

Sharon just smiled as she nodded, "That would be fine. Thank you, Rusty." She turned back to Andy, "As you can see, the country has been good for Rusty. He's developed a lot of new talents."

"Sounds like it," Andy chuckled.

"Rusty, go," Sharon nudged him. "I'll finish this. You worked today and made dinner. Go and relax. Andy and I can finish the kitchen."

"Okay," he shrugged. "I'm heading to my room where I plan to stay until morning," he pointed his finger at both and grinned. "Night you two."

Once Rusty left, Sharon turned back to Andy. He opened his arms, and she moved quickly to his embrace. They held each other for several moments as they enjoyed the silence.

"What else needs to be done here?" he asked. "I just want to sit with you."

Sharon nodded in agreement and pulled back to survey the kitchen, "Let's wipe off the table and the counters. I'll turn on the dishwasher."

When they finished in the kitchen, Sharon took Andy's hand in hers, "Come on," she gestured. "Let's sit." Andy nodded and followed as she led them. She didn't let go of the grip she had on his hand. When she continued through the living room and looked back to him, he raised his eyebrows in question.

"You didn't think I was going to make you sleep on the couch or worse yet, camp with the skunks, did you?" she grinned.


	11. Chapter 11

The night passed quickly, too quickly. Sharon and Andy talked almost the whole night; so much had happened. Their relationship up to this point had centered around talking about everything, and they had decided not to rush anything right now. It was too important, and they had so much to catch up on from months apart. They talked; they held each other, and sure they kissed, but they spent the evening reconnecting on many levels. Prior to witness protection, the two were even admitting to the world they were dating; they didn't want to bypass all the steps now, even though both knew they didn't want to live without the other now. It had taken Sharon being yanked away from her life for the two to realize they wanted each other, and they needed each other. The hard part came now; they were going to have to figure out how to live this secret life.

It was still early when they woke. Andy noticed the sunlight streaming in Sharon's room and glanced toward the window. It was a beautiful morning, and then he glanced to his side, where Sharon was curled up next to him, her arm sprawled on his chest. She was a beautiful sight too, one he had been afraid he might not see again.

"Have you been awake long?" she said quietly, and Andy turned toward her. He hadn't noticed she was awake.

"No, just woke up myself. What about you?" he asked.

"Mmmm, no," she lifted her head and smiled at him. "I felt your shoulder shift when you turned toward the window. I don't think I was sleeping that heavily. I didn't get much sleep."

"Some lady kept talking to me all night," he grumbled as he shifted his arm to wrap around her. "Can't even get a decent night sleep here."

Sharon chuckled softly as she continued to look at him. They both leaned toward each other and kissed.

"Hmmm," she smiled when they broke apart from each other. "I like seeing you right here."

"Really?" Andy grinned. "I like being right here. I wasn't sure I'd ever end up right here."

Sharon smiled, "Well, if there is anything good that has come out of all this, we seem to have figured out our relationship and what we want."

"So, you'll agree now that we're dating?" he teased.

Sharon pretended to look around the room, "I don't see a date. This," she gestured to the room, "is not a date."

Andy chuckled as he nodded, "Noted. Maybe that can be in the works for today? Take you on a date so you can evaluate your prospects?"

"Possibly," she sighed as she shifted to prop up her arm to look at him. "If today doesn't go well, I guess I can call George."

Andy raised an eyebrow at Sharon for an explanation, "George?"

"Yes," she mumbled, "the loss prevention guy. Balding, but a mustache," she grinned.

Andy chucked, "I'll see what I can do to be decent competition to George."

"Well, you did pull way ahead of him in time spent with me," she teased. "I mean, we did sleep together."

Andy raised his eyebrow again, "We didn't sleep together, though."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "I'm not talking that," she made a face at him. "You did sleep in my bed, curled up with me. Literally, we slept together."

Andy chuckled, "Here we go, you and the technicalities. Let's go ahead and mention that to George, though, the guy sleeping in your bed part."

"Ahhh," Sharon gestured to him and then continued, "you'll be surprised to learn I've moved to the gray area side. Contacting Emily-gray area. Not informing the Feds you found me-gray area. I can be swayed," she winked.

"Or, you're dating a bad boy, "he grinned as he pulled her quickly into an embrace. She started to laugh, and they spent a few more minutes kissing lazily before they broke apart for air.

"We should get up," Sharon told him. "I could use a cup of coffee."

Andy nodded, "It smells like Rusty is up," he told her. "I smell breakfast." Sharon sniffed and nodded in agreement.

"He loves to make breakfast on Sunday morning before Mass," she explained. "We usually end up being at the church for over a couple hours between Mass and my Sunday School class. He says it keeps him from starving."

"Noted," Andy said as he stood and stretched. Sharon did the same, and she could tell Andy was staring at her.

"You're staring," she said as she tried to brush out her hair.

"Can you blame me?" he teased. "Even in my wildest dreams, I don't think I imagined this trip ending this way. I just can't believe I found you, and then that we are here," he gestured to the room. "I meant what I said last night, Sharon, that we will find a way to be together. I want that." He walked toward Sharon, and she nodded.

"I want that too. I don't like my life without you in it," she leaned up toward him, and she kissed him once again. He wrapped his arms loosely around her, and they stood in the silence. He glanced to her nightstand and smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry you have been so alone here. I know it has to have been awful. As bad as it's been for me, I still have my kids, your kids, the team," he sighed. "Not only did you and Rusty uproot and move to a strange place, you couldn't bring anything with you. I'm glad you had the ballet slippers in your coat pocket," he said. He ran his hands over her hair as he spoke. She looked at him, full of happiness.

"I found the slippers right away," she told him. "I had been hanging up my things, and I got to thinking about you. When I got to the dress I had worn that night, I started to remember the slippers in my pocket. I had to frame them," she gestured to the frame on her nightstand. They had briefly discussed it the night before. "It was like the one thing of you I had here."

"I'll make sure to leave some other things of mine for you," he said as he pulled her closer. "We'll take new pictures and make new memories." Sharon nodded, and the two stood in an embrace.

"Let's get some coffee," she suggested, and they made their way down the hall. Sharon kept Andy's hand in hers; she didn't want to let it go. She'd spent most of the night holding his hand, and the pattern was repeating itself.

"Ahh, morning," Rusty greeted them when they entered the kitchen. He was putting an omelet on a plate. "Lieutenant," he smirked as he grinned at him, "how was the couch?"

"Such a comedian," Andy mumbled under his breath as Sharon poured coffee for the two of them. She glared at Rusty, but then turned to smile at Andy.

"For your information, we talked almost all night, TALKED," she emphasized, as she looked back to Rusty.

Rusty just shrugged and grinned, "Whatever, but Lieutenant, you should know Sharon hasn't had this happy look since we've been here. It's still a little weird to think of you finding us and now in my life more, but Sharon's done everything to make sure I'm happy and safe. I know you can do that for Sharon."

Sharon smiled warmly at Rusty and then glanced to Andy. He nodded in agreement, "I appreciate that, Rusty. Your mom and I talked a very long time last night, and we don't have an easy solution, but we're going to do what we can."

"And, the first thing we are going to work on right now is you calling him Andy," Sharon explained. "He cannot be the lieutenant here." She walked to the table where she handed Andy his cup of coffee. The two sat and turned toward Rusty at the stove.

He frowned, "That's just weird too," he sighed.

"Great," Sharon nodded to him. "You've done fine with weird names here. Work on that one too. Rusty, it's important."

Rusty just nodded, and Andy joined the conversation, "Not to mention unnecessary, Rusty. Your brother and sister have always called me Andy. I'm around you more than they are, and I'd like to think we can do better than Lieutenant and Kid."

Rusty smiled and just nodded at the names. "I'll work on it, Andy," he said to emphasize he could say the name. He pretended like he was choking, and Sharon and Andy rolled their eyes at each other.

"Always a comedian," Andy threw a fake smile to Sharon. She chuckled.

"Sharon, are we going to Mass this morning? I wasn't sure what we were doing with him," he gestured to Andy.

Sharon nodded, "We talked about it last night. Yes, Andy is going to go with us. We can simply say he's visiting us from California. Everyone there knows we moved here from California."

"We aren't going to discuss LA or my job," Andy pointed out. "Your mom tells me everyone thinks you are from Northern California. Let's keep this as simple as we can; I'm a friend from home. That is true, and Sharon tells me you two have been doing well with simple truths as much as you can."

"Okay," Rusty nodded, "so, what's your job, then?"

"We'll just say I work private security. That's close enough, yet it doesn't raise a red flag. It sounds boring too," he added. Rusty nodded, and Sharon caught his eye.

"Rusty, are you okay with that? We discussed this last night. If Andy is going to be around, as I would like him to be," she smiled to Andy, "he has to fit into this story."

"Yeah, I've got it," Rusty told them. "So, what are you? You're not my dad," he rolled his eyes. "Believe me, you don't want that role. Sharon and I have done a great job of painting the picture of the totally crappy ex-husband. Everyone thinks I'm her kid from the ex, and you don't want that job."

"I'm assuming most of what you have told people about the ex is true," he raised an eyebrow to Sharon. "The best lies come from the truth, so I'm guessing the town has heard all about dear old Jack?"

"Yes," Sharon held back a smile. "It's been easier to just keep it at that, my ex-husband left us."

Andy shrugged, "Not a lie," he sighed. "Rusty, you even saw that, so not a problem. I don't want Jack's title. We're just going to go with your mom's old friend, a family friend, and people will get the picture. We didn't want to spring a boyfriend title on everyone right now. It would raise flags that Sharon's never mentioned me, and then I show up out of the blue. Plus, there aren't any pictures of me here, and this way, we can ease me into the situation."

"Old friend?" Rusty smirked.

"Emphasis is not on my being old, but as in known a long time," Andy pointed out to Rusty.

"So, for my own clarification," Rusty smirked, "are you the boyfriend now, or are you two not dating here in Ohio too?"

Sharon pursed her lips as she turned to Andy. He flashed a smile at Sharon. Sharon cleared her throat and turned to Rusty, "Yes, Rusty, Andy and I are officially dating."

"Officially?" Rusty grinned. "I'd hope after the couch sat empty all night," he smirked as he flashed a grin to them. "I'd also like to know about this official stuff, seeing as how he can't tell anyone about his girlfriend because she is under witness protection, and you two can't see each other, but what," he shrugged, "a couple times a year?"

Andy chuckled into his coffee cup, and Sharon pointed at him, "You, laughing about this. I might put you on that couch tonight."

"Keep it up, and she might put you outside with the skunks," Rusty grinned as he brought the three plates to the table. "Looks like we are going to have an interesting day. Can't wait to drag the lieutenant to Mass with us where we pretend we live this alternate life here in Ohio."

Sharon and Andy caught each other's gaze, and they just smiled. Rusty was doing okay; he was making jokes and acting like his normal self. Sharon was glad to see it. She'd told Andy Rusty had missed the team. Sharon knew she, too, was much improved with Andy's visit. She was going to enjoy the day; she had another 30 hours or so with Andy, and she wasn't going to let them go to waste.

"Rusty, did one of your chess boards make the move?" Andy asked between bites.

Rusty looked up quickly with a grin, "Yeah, just one, but it's the one you gave me. I didn't even pick it out. It's just the one they sent. Pretty cool, huh?"

Andy nodded, and he winked at Sharon. "Fire it up. We can play chess after Mass and lunch. I'm guessing you've found a good burger place around here to show me for lunch, hmm?"

"If Ohio can do one thing right, it's make burgers," Rusty grinned. "There aren't many vegetarians around here, Lieutenant."

"Fine by me. I'm looking forward to a normal day. It's not California, but Mass with you two, a burger place, a few games of chess, and an evening with Sharon-the perfect day," Andy smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

"I liked your church," Andy told them as he studied the restaurant's menu. The three had attended the service, answered questions from those who were curious, and now, they were at Rusty' favorite burger joint. It was a diner, a clean one for Sharon's standards. The town didn't have a lot of restaurants, but what it did have in the way of food was good. Rusty and Sharon ate at the diner usually once a week or so where Rusty could get his burger fix.

"Yeah, even I think it's pretty good," Rusty nodded. "It's not that boring."

Sharon hummed as she looked to Andy, "You seemed to be a big hit."

"I'm surprised the lieutenant, I mean Andy," Rusty sighed as he corrected himself, "is even eating with us. He got invited to eat with just about every single woman in the congregation. Sharon's been hit on some by the guys around here, but nothing like you today," he grinned.

Sharon covered her mouth as she laughed, and she looked to Andy. He shrugged in agreement, "It's a good thing I found you two then. Otherwise, I would have been snatched up by someone else here. Hopefully, even though we told everyone I was a family friend they get the idea that I'm not interested." He looked to Sharon and smiled, "Well, I'm interested in one person from their congregation, but only one."

Sharon smiled, but Rusty groaned, "Oh, I'm hoping to eat soon. Can we please not go there? I get it that you two are glad to see each other, but I can only take so much."

"That's enough, Rusty," Sharon said with a hint of seriousness to her voice. The three continued to study the menu.

"What's good here?" Andy turned to Sharon. He flashed a smile to Rusty, "I'm aware the burgers are good."

"They have good soup," Sharon told Andy. "I enjoy the soup. They also make a veggie wrap, something I asked them about once. I was craving vegetables, and they said they could make that. If you want something like that, they will prepare it."

"Really," Andy nodded. "That does sound pretty good."

"Yes, they put a Greek dressing with it, and it was delicious," Sharon told him. The three took a few more minutes to study the menu, and then the waitress took their order. Rusty got a huge burger, while Sharon got a grilled chicken salad. Andy ordered the veggie wrap Sharon had suggested."

"Well, there you are!" they all heard and turned toward the voice. Sharon smiled at the sight of her friends. "We heard you had a visitor, Sandra, but we didn't see you in church this morning. We got stuck helping in the church nursery this week. I'm glad we ran into you."

Sharon nodded as her friend, Kathy spoke. Andy looked to Rusty, and Rusty just nodded that things were okay. Andy put his hand on the back of Sharon's chair as he turned his attention to the adults. He and Sharon were sitting across from Rusty.

"Yes, well, we had to feed Chris, here," Sharon gestured to Rusty. "I've finally got him to go more than a couple hours without food, but that's about it. I'd like you to meet a dear friend of mine. This is Andy," she gestured to him where she was also careful not to give out his last name. "He's an old friend visiting us from California."

"Andy, these are some friends of ours," she gestured to the group. "This is Becky and Mike," she nodded to one couple, "and Kathy and Eric. They've been so kind since Chris and I moved here. They've made church feel like home too," she smiled to Andy and then turned back to the group.

"Andy, it is VERY nice to meet you," Kathy smiled as she extended her hand to greet Andy, flirting with him just a bit, but not in an inappropriate way. He returned the greeting as he shook hands with all of them, all while keeping one hand on the back of Sharon's chair. "We're glad Sandra has someone visiting. She's done well here, but we can all tell she's been a little homesick. How do you know each other?"

"Old friends," Andy smiled as he looked to Rusty, "and, I've told Chris on more than one occasion that doesn't mean as in age." The group laughed, and he continued. "Sandra and I have known each other for years, which means I've known Chris for years as well."

"What brings you to town?" Becky asked. Sharon smiled as she met Rusty's gaze; she could tell her friends were prying, and it was sweet. They were looking out for her as well as looking for information.

"I was in Cleveland for work, and I knew Sandra wasn't too far from there. It was a no-brainer," he shrugged. "I'm really glad I had a few days to come and visit them."

"Ahh, what line of work are you in, Andy?" Mike asked.

"Private security," Andy nodded. "Just some meetings nearby for one of the companies I manage. Nothing exciting," he smiled. "To tell you the truth, it's been more exciting visiting here than in the big city," he chuckled. He purposely squeezed Sharon's shoulder to get the point across to her friends he was here for possibly more than just a friendly visit.

"It's been so nice having him visit," Sharon smiled to her friends. They nodded as they smiled.

"We should all get together while you are here," Becky suggested as she smiled. "When do you leave?"

"Oh, in the morning," Andy nodded. "Raincheck? I hope to visit again."

"Sure," Becky nodded. "We won't interrupt your lunch," she gestured to the table. "Sandra, I'm so glad we did run into you. I must say the church was buzzing about your mystery guest. Andy, it was very nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Andy threw a small wave to the group, and they all nodded to him in agreement as they found a table nearby.

After the group left, Andy met Sharon's gaze and then Rusty's, "So, I assume those were the friends we had to convince?"

"Yes," Sharon smiled. "I'm glad they met you. I'm wondering just how long until my phone starts ringing with questions about you. They really have been wonderful, genuine friends."

"You think they'll call?" Rusty raised his eyebrows in question. "I think they'll show up tomorrow and want every detail about the lieu- I mean, Andy." He grinned at Andy, and Andy turned slightly and flashed a grin at Sharon.

She rolled her eyes, "You are both terrible."

"And, apparently, I'm some sort of eye candy here," Andy flashed a smile with his twinkling eyes. Sharon rolled her eyes again as she patted his hand.

"If Provenza could see the size of your ego right now," she chuckled. Their conversation was halted as their food arrived. They settled in to eat and talk, enjoying the time together. Once they were finished, Sharon started to argue with Andy about the bill, but sighed.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you pay the bill? Have I ever let you pay the bill when we've gone out to eat?" he teased.

"You don't always have to pay for us," she gestured to Rusty as well. "You spent a fortune visiting us."

"He does have free room and board," Rusty grinned, "at least now."

Andy nodded, "Rusty's right."

"I'm not going to even discuss this," Sharon put up a hand and turned to them. "I'm going to say good-bye to my friends while you two take care of the bill." The guys nodded, and Sharon walked to her friends.

"We're going to get going," Sharon smiled at them. "I'm glad we ran into each other."

"Sandra, what's the story?" Kathy gestured to Andy. Sharon just smiled as she turned, as if there was any question where Kathy was pointing.

"We're friends, very good friends," Sharon smiled to the group.

"Hmm, yes, we see that," Becky grinned. "Glad to see that very good friend flew across the U.S. to visit."

Sharon started to protest, but then she blushed as she shrugged, "Well, we'll see. I need to get going. Andy promised Chris to a chess tournament this afternoon. Chris has probably missed that the most about Andy," she laughed.

"Oh, so they get along?" Kathy inquired.

"They do," Sharon smiled thinking of Rusty and Andy getting along. "They really do. I'll talk to you all this week," she waved as she left.

Their outing had gone well. They'd made it through church and lunch without incident. Her friends had met Andy, and she knew they could tell he was more than a friend. Sharon certainly had experience with getting people to believe she and Andy were friends moving toward something more. Her group of friends would continue to question her about Andy over the next few weeks, which was just fine. Hopefully, he would be able to visit her again soon, where maybe, they could go out with all her new friends.


	13. Chapter 13

"So, how many miles do you normally walk?" Andy asked, now a little out of breath as they continued to circle the track.

"Hmm, I often lose count. I try to walk at least two miles, sometimes more. Rusty put an app on my phone to log my miles, but to be honest," she turned her head and smiled at him as they kept walking, "I always forget to start the app."

Andy chuckled, as they walked. Sharon reached over and squeezed his hand while she hummed. "It is good exercise; I'll give you that," he said.

Sharon nodded as they walked. She had brought Andy to the high school track after dinner, wanting to show him a place she'd been spending a lot of time. With more free time, Sharon had more time to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. The high school track was always open and gave her a nice, safe, quiet place to walk.

"It sure it hot, though," Andy sighed. "Humidity here is nuts."

"It is," Sharon nodded. "I know it's not anything like our walks on the beach, but it's the best I can do," she shrugged. "I give you corn fields," she gestured to the landscape all around. The track was surrounded on three sides by fields, now growing corn. The corn hadn't grown that much yet, but it was still early in the summer.

"I'll walk with you anywhere," he smiled and continued, "beach or no beach."

"Now you at least know what I do most evenings. I'll think of you walking at the beach because you do need to keep doing that," Sharon threw a suggestive glance toward him and said, "and I'll walk here. Please don't stop walking because you miss me."

Andy just nodded. He'd admitted to Sharon that he wasn't exercising as much as he had in the past, mainly because he was trying to track her. He'd also told her he missed her, missed walking with her as they often did after dinner. He'd promised her tonight, during dinner, he'd continue to exercise.

"I'll keep exercising," he nodded to her. "I won't miss you as badly now that I know where you are. Still," he shrugged, "nothing can replace actually being here with you." He clutched her hand and raised it to his mouth where he kissed is. Instead of dropping her hand, he continued to hold it while they walked. Sharon smiled at the gesture.

"I'm glad we got to have a nice dinner," Sharon smiled.

"A romantic dinner," Andy perked up as he grinned to her. "So, how was that as far as a date?" he teased.

Sharon shrugged, causing Andy to look at her in horror. "I haven't finished evaluating it."

"You're evil," he chuckled. As they rounded the track, Sharon nudged Andy, and he looked toward where she was nodding.

"Looks like we've got company," she nodded. Andy squinted trying to figure out who was coming onto the track.

"Kathy and Eric," Sharon offered, knowing Andy wouldn't remember their names from lunch.

"Ahh," Andy nodded. He gestured to their hands, which were still intertwined with each other. "This okay?"

Sharon looked to their hands and back to Andy. She smiled, "I'm not letting go."

Andy just chuckled as he nodded. They continued to walk toward Kathy and Eric. Sharon waved as they approached.

"Nice to see you here, Sandra," Kathy smiled. "I see we both brought a different walking partner."

Sharon smiled as she and Andy met Kathy and Eric by the track's entrance. "Yes, well, I had to show Andy my favorite quiet place." She turned to Andy, "Kathy and I walk here together a lot."

"I see," Andy nodded. "I didn't mean to replace you this evening," he flashed a grin to Kathy as he leaned in toward her. Sharon just rolled her eyes. Andy could charm anyone.

"Are you kidding?" Kathy smiled. "I'm glad to see Sandra walking here with you. She always looks so lonely when she's here alone. You should stay in town longer."

Andy shrugged, "I would if I could. I have to get back home. Work," he nodded.

"So, have you two just been walking?" Kathy asked. "Eric and I went to a movie and decided we needed some exercise."

"We went to dinner," Sharon smiled. "We ate too much and decided we needed some exercise as well."

"Dinner?" Kathy raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Italian," Andy explained. "She wanted me to try the local place. I'm Italian, and we both love Italian food, so I had to try it."

"And?" Kathy grinned.

"Good," Andy nodded. "It doesn't matter, though, really," he looked to Sharon. "The company is what I really enjoyed."

Sharon hummed, as she smiled at Andy. She turned her attention back to her friends, "So, yes, we needed to walk off that piece of cheesecake."

"And, the four or five breadsticks," Andy chuckled.

"You said you leave tomorrow, Andy?" Eric asked.

"I do," Andy nodded. "I've got a late flight, but then I have to be to work first thing in the morning on Tuesday. Busy day," he nodded. "My daughter asked me to watch the grandkids Tuesday evening too because she and her husband have a work thing, so no rest for the weary."

"Oh, you have kids?" Kathy asked. "How many?"

"Four," Andy nodded as he smiled to Sharon. The two had talked about the kids as well as Andy's story here. Sharon somehow wanted to acknowledge Emily and Ricky, even though people couldn't know about her kids. The two had decided Andy would just claim them as his kids, which would help Sharon too. She'd commented to her friends about the ballet at one point, and she'd managed to talk her way out of the situation, but she hated denying anything about her own kids. At least if they fit into Andy's story, she could work them back into her life in a very small way.

"Four? Wow," Eric chuckled. "You're a busy guy. I'm guessing you have a lot of grandkids?"

"Actually," Andy smiled to Sharon and turned back to Kathy and Eric, "only two. Two grandsons. The kids are still young adults. Two girls and two boys."

"Oh, and do they all live near you?" Kathy asked.

"Three live in the state, and one is in New York. Great kids, all of them," he smiled to Sharon. She returned the smile.

"The best," Sharon added as she continued to look at Andy while she thought about the kids. She missed them so much, all of them. Of course, she missed Emily and Ricky very much, but she also missed Andy's kids. She'd spent a good deal of time with them over the last year, and she had to admit they'd become part of her family too. She and Andy had already discussed Nicole's boys and how much they had grown. She hated missing out on everything back in California. "Well, we'd better get going," Sharon nodded to the group. "Andy and Chris already had one chess tournament this afternoon, and they promised a rematch this evening."

"Yes, where is Chris?" Kathy asked.

"He went to a movie as well. Small world," she added. "I'm guessing you didn't see the futuristic movie he wanted to see, she smiled.

"Apparently, he wasn't interested in going to dinner with us," Andy shrugged. "We're old and boring, as he said."

The four laughed as they bid their good-byes. They promised to get together when Andy returned, and Kathy and Sharon made plans to walk later in the week."

"You have some nice friends, Sharon," Andy told her when they were situated in the car. "I'm glad you made some friends here. I know you've been lonely."

Sharon turned to him before pulling out of the parking lot, "I've been so lonely, especially seeing my friends with their spouses." She reached over and squeezed Andy's hand. "I can't tell you what it means to me you are here."

Andy nodded as he smiled. He pulled his hand up to look at his watch, "By my calculations, we have less than 18 hours together, and I plan to spend as much of that time with you I can."

"How does a movie in my room sound?" she grinned.

"Best thing I've heard all day," he smiled.

The two were surprised when they arrived home and found Rusty wasn't there. A note on the kitchen table told them he had gone to study at the school library.

Andy, who was behind Sharon, wrapped his arms around her as she read over the note that was left on the kitchen table. She tilted her head to smile at him.

"He study at the library a lot?" Andy asked.

"No, mostly here," she smiled. "I think he's avoiding us."

"I knew he was my favorite of your kids," Andy kissed her neck. Sharon squeezed his hands, which were wrapped around her.

"Hmm, he is scoring big points this evening," she sighed. "I know he's glad to see you too, but I'm really glad we could go out on a date tonight." She turned in Andy's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his arms on her lower back.

"Ahh, so the lady admits it was a date. Where is my recording device now? The team would all be checking their betting pool if we were home," Andy grinned.

Sharon laughed into his chest. "I guess that's one more secret we'll keep to ourselves. Yes, our DATE," she enunciated, "was lovely. Best date I've had here in Ohio."

Andy raised his eyebrows, as he ran his hands on her side, "Best date? There have been others?"

"I'm not one to kiss and tell," she teased.

"Sharon!" Andy exclaimed, taking a step back. He still had his hands on her back, and she grinned as she pulled him closer again.

"I'm only teasing, Andy," she chuckled as he moved her arms and ran her hands up his shirt. "I have no interest in anyone in this town. No one could take your place, no one," she repeated as she smiled up to him. Her eyes were twinkling, and he leaned in to kiss her.

"You said you have no interest, but has there been kissing or dating involved?" he grinned.

"Only with a very handsome visitor from a mysterious land," she grinned. "I love how my friends almost act as if California is a foreign, exciting land."

Andy grinned, "I hope to stay your only date and kiss giver," he grinned.

"Kiss giver?" she laughed. "Andy, that has to be one of the silliest comments from you."

He shrugged, "You make me feel crazy and silly. Sharon, you make me feel so many things I haven't felt in years or at all. I want to repeat what I told you when you left. I love you, Sharon. I have for some time."

Sharon bit her lip and then her gaze met his, "I love you too, Andy, so much," she nodded. "I hate this situation. I hate lying to everyone here. They are good people. I hate lying to our family and friends. I hate denying that I have more children. I hate being away from you."

"But," Andy nodded to her.

"But, yes, I will do anything to keep Rusty safe," she sighed.

"I know," he kissed her cheek. "I know," he repeated and kissed her again. "We'll push forward. They'll find Stroh eventually. Until then, we can do this."

Sharon smiled softy as she wiped a tear from her eye, "I do love you. This situation may have forced me to deal with feelings, but that is true. I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled sweetly to her as he wiped another tear from her. "So, we're still processing our relationship changes, I get that," he explained. "We wanted to give ourselves time to catch up with everything, time away, feelings, and all, fine," he nodded. "Can I interest you, though, in messing around?" he grinned.

Sharon laughed as she nodded, "I'd like that. We agreed to wait until the next visit," she ran her hands on his shirt again. He nodded.

"I can do that, but," he shrugged.

"Lead the way," Sharon giggled as the two chased each other down the hall. As they had told Rusty that morning, they had spent much of the night before talking. After spending months apart, the two had a lot to say. They had gone from seeing each other all day at work and talking into the wee hours of the night on the phone to nothing for months. They meant it when they'd told each other they wanted a relationship, so they'd agreed to take a moment. They agreed to move forward, but to tread lightly. They didn't want to mess up; they were going from being friends before Stroh escaped to living completely apart, and now that they'd found their way back to each other, they wanted to deal with their emotions. There were a lot of emotions. Andy had noticed Sharon tearing up during the day. He'd almost done the same himself. It wasn't just a quick, easy thing to reconnect. Both wanted to reconnect, but there were a lot of emotions, external emotions, the two wanted to share with each other. For tonight, they still had time together.

"Sharon, are you going to work?" the two jolted awake as they heard Rusty knocking on the door.

"Rusty?" Sharon asked, as she fumbled for her glasses. Andy sighed as he rolled over and checked the time.

"You okay?" Rusty asked through the door. "I'm going to my 8:00 class now. I thought you were going to work."

Sharon stood and put on her glasses. She checked her appearance and decided she was decent enough to answer her door. She glanced back to Andy who was sitting on the side of the bed in a t-shirt and boxers. She nodded to him, and he gestured it was fine to open the door.

"There you are," Rusty said, as he glanced toward Sharon and then to Andy. He just nodded and turned away, even though both were presentable to Rusty. "Did you take the day off since the lieutenant is here?"

"No," Sharon frowned. "I would like nothing more than that, but I have a meeting this morning I can't change. We forgot to turn on the alarm. Thank you for waking us," she nodded to him as she smoothed her hair.

"Oh, yeah, umm, sure," he said. "You two had already gone to bed when I came home last night."

Sharon nodded, "Yes, we turned on a movie, and we didn't last long."

"Some things never change," Rusty grinned.

"Yeah," Andy nodded as he stood, "but at least this was more comfortable than the orange couch."

"Oh, I miss that couch," Sharon sighed.

"I don't," Andy and Rusty said in unison. They smiled at each other while Sharon rolled her eyes.

Sharon glared at both, and then she turned her attention back to Rusty as Andy moved to his suitcase for his clothing. "Thank you for waking us. I do need to get ready for work so I am not late. Andy was planning to meet me for lunch before he heads to the airport."

"Oh, so are you going to be here this morning, Lieutenant?" Rusty asked. Rusty seemed to adopt the same principle of using their "real" names with Andy at home too. He'd done a pretty good job of calling him Andy when in public, but he resorted to lieutenant at the house.

"I was planning to fix a few things for Sharon. She made me a list," he smirked to her. "My 'Honey-Do' list if I may," he smiled.

Sharon rolled her eyes again as she turned to Rusty, "Now, I'm questioning if it's such a good idea to leave him here alone at our house without any supervision. You can't trust anyone these days."

Rusty nodded in agreement, "So, would it help if I checked on him after my class?" He smiled to Andy, "I guess we could play a game of chess if you have that list done."

"Deal," Andy pointed to him. "I'll see you after your class." Rusty nodded, and Sharon squeezed his shoulder as he waved to them.

"Have a good day, Rusty," she called down the hall as he left for class. She turned to Andy, "I'm sorry I forgot to set the alarm." She dropped her head as she chuckled.

He shrugged, "That's okay. I had you otherwise occupied last night," he grinned. "I will look forward to our next visit now."

She rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hip, "Maybe we should wait longer for anything more," she teased.

Andy moved quickly across the room, and Sharon squealed as he reached for her. She caught up to him, and the two kissed quickly.

"I love you, but I can't get fired from my job," she smiled into his kiss.

"Get ready," he grinned. "I'll make the coffee and find something to eat. One thing I can't wait to see," he paused, and when he didn't say anything, Sharon asked.

"What?" she grinned.

"I can't wait to see you in a suit again. You and your suits, and I can't forget the heels," he sighed. "Breathtaking, and that will have to hold me over until I see you again."

Sharon smiled warmly at him as she turned toward her bathroom, "Then, I'd better get ready. I'll do you a favor by wearing your favorite suit, if you do me a favor too."

"What's that?" Andy asked, now intrigued.

"Make sure George sees us at work on our way to lunch. He's a nice man, but I really need him to stop asking me to go to lunch with him each day," she grinned.

"Ahh, so I'm the buffer guy," he nodded. "You don't want to date that guy, so…" he trailed off.

"So," Sharon leaned up and kissed Andy quickly, "I need George to take a hint. I need him to see me with my boyfriend," she smiled brightly, "so that he stops trying to ask me out on a date."

"You'll wear my favorite suit if I work my magic on George?" he teased.

Sharon laughed, "Hmm, that ego of yours could be a problem."

"Oh, it is," Andy teased again as he kissed Sharon. "I'll make it VERY clear to George you're taken, Sweetheart."

She smiled and then looked to the ground, "And, then you'll fly off to the life I can't share with you."


	14. Chapter 14

She thought she knew how empty a house could feel, but it had never felt this empty. He'd left. Andy had gone back to his life, their life, back in California. Except now, it wasn't "their" life. They no longer shared the same friends, even basically the same job. He'd gone home, and he would get a chance to speak to their kids. There it was again, that word, "their," and what was even more ironic is that it took Sharon being yanked from their life to even realize it had been their life-together, one they had slowly been creating.

She sunk down onto the couch and looked around the house. He'd hung the drapes; she smiled at that, knowing Andy had put a small stamp on her house. It wasn't "their" house; it was her house with her son. Rusty. Admittedly, she wished now it was "their" house, not that she was ready to take that kind of a leap, but "their" meant Sharon AND Andy, and right now, Andy was on his way back to "their" life in California. All of this was for Rusty, to keep him safe, and while she didn't regret that for one second, she did let herself slip into a period of mourning. Sharon didn't know when she would speak to Andy. They'd discussed burner phones and options such as that, but with both having worked in law enforcement, they knew even those weren't foolproof. They could still give away more than either wanted to risk. So, they were going to play it safe, or safer than they wanted. It was harder than either imagined to agree to no phones, but they had. Andy knew where she was and that she was safe. That was enough for him, as hard as it was to admit. Sharon knew Andy had searched for her; he wanted her, and he loved her. That, for Sharon, was enough too. They could do this.

Sharon sighed as she pulled herself off the couch and walked to her kitchen to get herself something to drink. She was home earlier than usual, and she'd told Rusty she would make dinner. On Mondays, he had an early class and then a 3:30 class, so he wasn't home yet either. Sharon opened her refrigerator and almost started to cry. Andy had been busy at the house while she'd been at work. He'd made up spaghetti sauce, now chilling in the refrigerator, and he'd made another casserole for her. She smiled at his handwritten note on the food, "I will always find a way to cook for you." Sharon shook her head at the gesture; he was a wonderful man. He'd been to the store that morning and stocked up her refrigerator with things he knew she liked, her favorite flavored waters, salad, and even some of Rusty's favorite deli meats. She opened the freezer, almost wondering what she might find, and she smiled again when she saw he'd put two more casseroles in there. Somehow, he'd managed to find time for all of it-he'd taken care of a few small projects around the house, gone to the store, and he'd left her food. Oh, she missed him already.

In lieu of phones, she'd suggested they write everything down they wanted to say, and then the next time they saw each other, they could exchange their notebooks. Sharon knew this was a risk too, but as she'd told Rusty and Andy, she was living in a gray area right now and was willing to send her innermost thoughts and feelings to Andy through a notebook. She glanced to the table where hers still sat from the store, and she went to it. This was something she needed to tell him.

She smiled again when she opened it and on the first page found, "I will always love you," written for her. She wiped her lone tear and sat down to write.

"It's not even been a few hours, but I already miss you so much. I came home to the most wonderful surprise, a full stocked refrigerator. I can't tell you what that means. It is just one example of your kindness and one more reason I love you." Sharon thought for a few more minutes and wrote more in her first note to Andy. She finished and chuckled when she realized she'd filled the page. Yes, he'd just left, but she had so much to say.

"I'm home," she heard Rusty call to her, and she closed her notebook. She smiled to Rusty when he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Sharon," he smiled to her as he walked toward the refrigerator. She could tell Rusty was on a mission. "You been home long?"

"No," she shook her head as she watched him get something to drink. "I only got home 15 minutes ago. I was noting just how busy Andy was here this morning, and I'm guessing you helped with that."

"Oh," he flashed a small grin, "yeah, I helped. He wanted to do something nice for you. He spent most of the morning cooking. I helped with that. Yeah, when I got back from class, he'd already gone to the store, and he was hanging the curtains you wanted. He made like three casseroles."

"I saw," Sharon smiled softly as she spoke to Rusty. "That was very thoughtful of him, you too."

Rusty shrugged, "Least I could do. I figured if the guy wanted to leave his homemade Italian food, which I have to say is really good, I could help prepare it and clean up. Plus, I know you miss him. You two, like really care about each other, more than I realized. I guess I thought it was just old people hanging out."

"We do," Sharon nodded. "I love him very much. It took be yanked from our lives at home to say it," she rolled her eyes to Rusty, "but I do. He loves me too."

"So, that's like wrong," Rusty frowned. "I'm the reason you two are suffering and can't be together. Sharon, this is my fault."

Sharon stood and put her hand on Rusty's arm, "Listen," she pursed her lips, "this is not your fault. We are safe. Was this in the plans? No, but we are safe. Honestly," she smiled softly again, "if we were still at home, Andy and I might still be dancing around our feelings. We have both realized what is at stake here, and neither of us want to hide it from each other. He found us; we'll make it work."

"But, like, he can't come live here, can he, not that I ever want to imagine that?" Rusty asked, as he pretended to gag.

Sharon frowned, "No, he can't. Andy can't leave Los Angeles. He's the connection to Ricky and Emily we need, and besides, he has his own children I would never ask him to leave. We don't know how long we will be here, Rusty. They could catch Stroh at any moment."

"We could be here forever," Rusty pointed out to her.

Sharon just nodded, but remained silent. She squeezed Rusty's arm and picked up the notebook she'd been writing in earlier, and she walked to her room. She could feel Rusty watching her. Yes, she was aware they could be stuck in Ohio forever, but she couldn't focus on that now. She wanted to change, to move on from the day. She smiled again when she saw several notes around the room from Andy, all sweet comments she could keep. Now, she had something from him she could keep. He'd also printed out and framed a simple photo of the two of them Rusty had taken after church. Andy had put it on her nightstand, and she sat on her side of the bed and picked it up. She ran her hand over it before she looked around the room. He'd just been there; he'd spent two days with her, and it had been wonderful.

 _"So, why have you been so afraid to admit you have feelings for me?" Andy flashed her a grin as they faced each other on Sharon's bed. They were lying on their sides, facing toward each other, and they'd spent the last two hours talking. It had been the first night, the night Andy had arrived, the night they'd talked almost the whole night. "When you left, one of the last things you said to me was your divorce was about more than just Rusty. I always kinda figured that, but why were you so scared to tell me?"_

 _Sharon looked away as she felt the blush creeping up her face. When she glanced back, she caught Andy still watching her, waiting patiently. "Well," she cleared her throat, "as confident as I am interrogating murder suspects, I am the complete opposite when it comes to relationships."_

 _"Okay," Andy reached over and ran his arm on her shoulder. He found her fingers and laced his fingers with hers. He nodded, encouraging her to continue. "I mean, I know you aren't playing the field or anything," he grinned, hoping that would lighten the mood._

 _Sharon smiled brightly as she started to relax. "Andy, my feelings for you have been growing for a long time, and I guess it has scared me a little. For one, I didn't want to ruin everything at work. You and I work so well together, and the team knows it. I didn't want to jeopardize that. Andy, I'm your boss, WAS your boss. I just didn't want to cause a mess there."_

 _"And?" he nodded. "You and I both know I could care less about work, as far as my reputation. You're right; we work so well together, but Sharon I know that's not it."_

 _She sighed as she rolled her eyes, "It's just been Jack, just Jack for so long. I wasn't sure I knew how to do this," she gestured between them, "to have a real relationship. I haven't had to discuss feelings and thoughts with anyone in so long. I haven't had to think about balancing home and work. I wasn't sure if I could do it. I guess you could say I was freaked out, as Rusty would suggest, at the idea of it all. Plus, I was dealing with some very strong feelings of attraction in the mix."_

 _"Really?" Andy grinned as he pulled Sharon a little closer. "So, you think I'm hot?" he teased as he kissed her forehead._

 _"Hot-headed, of course," she fired back. She heard Andy groan at the playful comment, and then they both grew serious again. "I've thought you were extremely handsome for quite some time. Ever wonder why I have to close my blinds? There are days I have stared at the same expense report for over an hour because I can't stop staring at you. The blinds helped me focus."_

 _"See," he nodded to her, "that's where we have a problem. The moment you close your blinds, I lose focus, not that it was great before that, but I couldn't stand not being able to see you, not being able to throw a subtle glance your way during the day."_

 _Subtle?" Sharon grinned, her eyes sparkling._

 _"Okay," Andy agreed, "maybe, I wasn't so subtle. Sharon, I want you to talk to me; I've always wanted you to talk, and I thought we were doing a great job of discussing feelings and thoughts."_

 _"We were," she nodded, "just not romantic feelings, but that's where I went wrong. I should have trusted you enough to talk to you about that. I'm just glad we are talking now."_

 _"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "Maybe I should transfer to Missing Persons. I seem to have a knack for tracking down former police captains."_

 _"Maybe," she grinned as she leaned in to kiss him. "The sad thing is you can't even tell them that in a transfer request, so best you stay with our team."_

 _"It is our team," he smiled to her and kissed her quickly._

 _"It WAS our team, Andy. It may never be again," she sighed._

Now, as Sharon looked around her room, she thought about what Rusty had said. Rusty had asked if Andy could ever move there, and while the idea was wonderful, she knew it couldn't happen. They agreed he would keep an eye on the kids, all the kids, well, except Rusty. Andy would take care of anything the four kids needed, and he'd find a way to let Emily and Ricky know Sharon was okay. Sharon had given him something to pass along to Emily.

 _"I hate to ask," she rolled her eyes, as they stood in her room talking, "but, would you find a way to get this to Emily?" She handed Andy her wedding band and engagement ring. Andy raised his eyebrows at her. "I know," she waved him off. "It is rather awful of me to ask you to pass along my wedding rings from my ex-husband. Yes, I'm aware, but I don't want them. I'd like Emily to have them, and maybe somehow, she'll realize you got these from me. The agency sent the rings, not knowing the history there. I don't want them here at all. Jack has no business in this home, ever."_

 _Andy reached for her hand, and he ran his fingers over it. "I'll be happy to give Emily the rings. They were yours, Sharon," she smiled softly. "Any boyfriend who is unwilling to help his girlfriend dispose of her former wedding rings isn't a true boyfriend," he winked. Sharon laughed; that had broken the awkwardness, and he'd then promised to take care of her rings._

"Sharon, do you want to eat soon?" Rusty asked from the living room.

"I'll be out in a minute," she told him as she snapped out of her state. She wanted to change and started to dig through her drawers. As she took off her suit, she smiled at the memory from lunch.

 _"Excuse me, Ma'am, I was told that if I asked nicely, I might be able to take you to lunch?" Andy had asked as he walked up to Sharon at work. He had his hands in his pockets and was smiling brightly at her. Sharon was on the floor, which accounted for almost 40% of her job. Ironically, she was discussing an issue with George, the loss-prevention man, as Andy approached. She'd told him she expected to be on the floor all morning, and her meeting she couldn't cancel had been with George and others on the staff. They were discussing some new security measures._

 _Sharon and George both turned toward Andy, and while Sharon flashed a huge smile, Andy wanted to chuckle noting that George appeared concerned and was trying to size up Andy._

 _"Sir, if you need help, I can gladly help you. Let's not bother her; she's got work to do here," George stated as he tried to come to Sharon's rescue. Sharon met Andy's gaze and smiled at him. Andy quietly chuckled, even appreciating how concerned George was for Sharon._

 _"George," Sharon quickly touched his arm, as she noted he had taken a step toward Andy, "this is Andy," she gestured. "He's with me; he's harmless," she grinned. Sharon and Andy watched as George looked between them trying to figure out the situation. "Andy is my boyfriend."_

 _"Oh, boyfriend? I'm so sorry; I didn't know," he sighed. He stuck his hand out to Andy, "George Stevens," he told Andy. "Nice to meet you. I work with Sandra."_

 _"Andy," he nodded to him. "Sandra has mentioned you. Nice to meet you. No apologies needed; I'm visiting from out of town."_

 _"Oh," George said with a sigh. "Okay, I was wondering why I'd misread things."_

 _"George, Andy is an old friend from California. He had business in Cleveland and drove here to see me for a couple days," Sharon offered. "I try to keep my personal life out of work. I'm not one to mix business with pleasure."_

 _Andy flashed a grin and raised his eyebrows at Sharon. It was all he could do not to laugh, so he turned his attention back to George, "I appreciate you sticking up for her," he nodded. "Too many dirt bags in this world. I promise, though, that I'm harmless."_

 _"Well, I just feel like an oaf! You two, go, enjoy lunch, and Sandra, I'll work on the changes we discussed," George told them._

 _Sharon nodded to George, and she turned back to Andy and reached out for his hand. He quickly put his hand in hers, and the two waved to George as they left. While still in sight, Andy kissed her cheek as they walked._

 _"He is a nice guy," Andy pointed out as they walked away._

 _"He is," Sharon nodded, "which is why it's been so sad in a way to keep turning him down. Thank you for helping me there; that should clear up anything. He's a very nice man, and I'm just not interested."_

 _"Good think I found you when I did," he winked._

Sharon smiled as she finished changing. Andy had complimented her suit earlier in the morning and again at lunch.

 _"No wonder they have you in the men's department! You're probably posting the best sales. Men probably flock to you when they see you dressed like that. There's no way a guy could focus with this," he gestured to her clothing. "You're too nice of a person, but a really evil woman would get guys to buy everything in the department when the guys are so distracted."_

 _Sharon smiled, "It's a two-way street. Why do you think I know so much about men's suits? I've been staring at yours for years now."_

"Sharon, I'll put the spaghetti sauce on," Rusty called to her again. She smiled; he was hungry, and he was trying to not get too impatient. Sharon was going to try to not get too impatient about her next visit with Andy. They had plans in the works, not plans they could discuss easily, but hopefully, she would be able to see him again before the end of summer.


	15. Chapter 15

It was going to be a good day; Andy hadn't had a lot of good days at work in a long time, but today was different. He was fresh off his trip, and best of all, he'd found Sharon and Rusty. Andy hadn't realized the amount of relief he felt until his plane touched down in Los Angeles. As he moved through the airport, he felt a sense of peace, one he hadn't felt since Sharon had left. Finally, he could relax a little; he knew where she was, and he had seen her with his own eyes.

Andy had, of course, done more than just see Sharon. He'd spent two days with her, talking about everything under the sun, not to mention getting better acquainted with his girlfriend. Sharon was his, not that he owned her or anything because he didn't think of her like that, but he was hers to love. He did love her, and she loved him; they had clarified that. Even though they'd said that to each other when Sharon had left months earlier, Andy needed to hear it again. He needed to hear that it wasn't just something Sharon said as a parting "gift" of sorts. No, she truly loved him, wanted him, and he felt the same. He was still amazed a woman as wonderful and classy as Sharon could love a guy like him.

He had called his own kids after he landed to let him know he was home safely. Andy wanted to call Sharon's kids later. He knew he couldn't tell them anything, but he was hoping to coordinate a visit with them, possibly in LA, where he could at least give Emily Sharon's rings. He set plans with Nicole to have dinner the next weekend. She said he sounded relaxed. Andy felt relaxed, and now, even though he'd arrived home in the middle of the night and had little sleep, he felt refreshed and relaxed this Tuesday morning as he arrived to work.

"Flynn," Taylor called to him as he rounded the corner from the elevator. Andy sighed to himself and turned, flashing a small smile at Taylor. Yes, the guy had been kind about giving Andy blocks of time off, but Andy still didn't trust the guy.

"Chief," Andy nodded.

"How was your trip? You did just get back, didn't you? I don't remember hearing you were on this last case."

Andy nodded, "Yeah, I got back last night. It was good, relaxing," he clarified. "I finally found some peace."

"Really?" Taylor asked. "Do tell. Where did you go?"

Andy shrugged, "Just a resort. I didn't do much. I sat by the pool, read, slept, that kind of thing. Oh, I walked, you know, trying to get back into exercising." Andy smiled thinking of that, knowing at least some of that was true. He and Sharon had walked, and he'd promised her he would do better about exercising.

"Good," Taylor nodded as he gave Andy an odd look. "Listen, I'm glad I ran into you. That vacation time you wanted in August is going to have to be changed. Davis and I have to go to a conference now during that week. I have been waiting for you to get back to tell you that. I hope it's not a problem, but I can't have you out too. With Davis and myself out, that leaves Provenza and you in charge. I know," he held up a hand as he chuckled, "I heard myself say that, and your former captain would probably roll her eyes at the idea of leaving you and Provenza in charge for a week."

"Umm, yeah," Andy let out a nervous laugh. He wanted to smile at the mention of Sharon, but he was also thrown by his trip now changing. "Ahh, okay."

"Look at your calendar, and let me know when you want to change that vacation time. It just can't be that week, and really we had already discussed a lot of August was a problem with others in your division wanting vacation time too," Taylor told him.

"Yeah, okay," Andy nodded. He was a bit stunned. He never expected his vacation dates to change; he and Sharon had planned on his returning during those dates. Taylor's change, while valid, was going to really mess with his plans.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant!" he and Taylor heard and turned toward Julio who was waving to Andy as he walked off the elevator. Andy threw a quick wave and glanced back to Taylor.

"Just get me the dates you want soon, Flynn," Taylor nodded and turned to his office. Andy turned and found Julio waiting for him to walk in together.

"Julio," Andy patted him on the shoulder, "catch me up," he said, wanting to jump back into work. Andy was determined to have a good day.

"Well, look who flew home on his broom," Provenza frowned as Andy walked in with Julio.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andy asked, as he walked to his desk. Julio chuckled as he grinned at Andy.

Provenza shrugged, "You're the one who suggested the broom all those years ago. I figure the title should pass along to someone since she can't be here to claim it right now. Who better to take over the broom, Flynn? You were friends, as you say," he gave Andy a look challenging him.

"Bite me," Andy gestured to Provenza. "So glad to see you are worthless as usual. Someone want to tell me what you have been working on lately, not that Provenza has been doing any work?" Andy turned on his computer and sat down, ready for the latest report.

"Andy, looks like vacation agreed with you," Mike smiled at him. "Where did you go?"

"Ahh, just a resort," Any waved him off. "Chicago, and I didn't do anything but sleep, eat, relax, and get some sun. Oh, I guess I got back into exercising too, but nothing exciting. It was good. I found one of those last minute resort booking things." Andy had decided he'd provide Chicago as his destination, as he had flown there. He figured the team would leave any further questioning alone, knowing he had been working through a lot of emotions.

"Glad to hear it," Mike smiled. "We closed a case Friday, and so today, we're doing paperwork catch-up. Davis wants to meet with the team at 3:30. We're hoping to get out of here when she'd done."

"And, we're not inviting her for drinks," Julio nodded to Andy. "We're going out after work today since we haven't done that in awhile. Lieutenant, we hope you'll join us."

"Come on, Lieutenant. It will be like old times," Amy offered a small smile.

"Almost like old times," Buzz nodded, with a slight nod toward Sharon's office. For the first time that morning, Andy paused and turned toward Sharon's dark office. It really was sad and funny at the same time, that Sharon's office stood dark and closed. No one wanted to enter; all were hoping she would magically appear. Andy realized he hadn't even glanced toward it, a sign of just how much he'd missed her. Now that he knew where she was, the office didn't seem like such the dark cloud, the sad reminder of something almost lost.

"I'd like to come tonight," Andy gave a small smile and nodded. "I need to get back on my feet. I know I've been, well," he gestured.

"A sad puppy," Provenza interjected, while he continued to look at his crossword. "Flynn's gone through all the different phases. We had the excited puppy, just hoping to be noticed by the captain. Oh, she noticed him, alright," Provenza huffed. "Puppy love," he teased as he nodded to the team. "Then, he morphed into the lovesick puppy, just wishing the captain would do-" Andy cut him off before he could say more.

"Provenza, watch it!" Andy exclaimed.

Provenza finally met his gaze, "We'll let minds wander on the lovesick puppy, but we then moved into the sad puppy stage. Flynn, it's good to see you acting like your pathetic self, and now that the puppy has grown, maybe you can turn your attack dog side on Davis. She'd driving us crazy. Oh, and by the way, you're buying the drinks tonight. You owe us after we had to watch you sulk around here."

Andy glared at him and waved off the team. He'd gladly buy drinks if it kept people off his back. "Glad you missed me, Provenza," he smirked as he turned to the work on his desk.


	16. Chapter 16

Sharon was hard at work, trying to focus. She had a headache that wouldn't go away, and really, she just wanted to go home. Working at the department store was fine, but it wasn't very rewarding, not like her job with the LAPD. Yes, she spent less time around dirt bags, as Andy would call them, but she just didn't have a great satisfaction with her work. It was a job, though, one that she could do. She sighed as she turned back to the stack of expense reports on her desk. Now, that was a similarity, the paperwork. She had a decent amount of paperwork as the department head, something she could relate to from work in the LAPD. Timesheets, schedules, and things of the like were always landing on her desk. She liked the people she worked with at the store, but they weren't her team. They weren't her friends, as the team had become. She sighed again as she looked at her watch; she still had an hour until she could head home for the day.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," she looked up when she noticed one of her sales associates at her door. Sharon wasn't sure if she'd completely tuned out Missy knocking, but she was lost in a daydream, so it was possible.

"I'm sorry, Missy, what is it?" she offered a small smile to the younger employee.

"I have a message for you," she gestured with the paper. "Call transferred to the sales floor for you, from a Mr. Watson. At the time, I didn't realize you were back here in your office, or I would have transferred the call."

"Oh?" Sharon asked, accepting the paper that Missy had folded. "Thank you." Missy smiled nodded, and disappeared, while Sharon opened it, a bit surprised she had a message on the floor. Normally, specific customers would just come by. As she opened the message, she tried to recollect what the message could be regarding.

 _"My business travels have changed, and I won't be able to make the suit fitting we discussed. I would like to set up a new fitting and will be in touch next time I am in town early October."_

Sharon took a deep breath as she read the message. Andy. Instantly, she knew Andy had called, and she sighed as she hadn't picked up on the "Mr. Watson" comment. She held back a smile as she realized he was trying to tell her something in the safest way possible. If she knew him, he probably had found the last pay phone in LA to make the call to the store. Missy had taken the note; she could tell by the handwriting. Her smile grew when she thought about the different names Andy could have used. Provenza would have been too specific and too obvious. Sykes wasn't original enough. Sanchez and Tao might have worked, but Watson was generic enough to be perfect. After she got over the shock that Andy had contacted her, she turned back to study the message he felt important enough to get to her.

Sharon frowned and let out a saddened sigh. Andy wasn't going to be able to come visit like they had hoped. That was the message. Something was keeping him in LA, most likely work related. He'd left her enough of a hint, though, to tell her he was going to come the beginning of October. October was so far away, but Sharon couldn't do anything about it now. She missed him dearly, even though she'd seen him only two weeks ago. She figured he had spent a few days trying to figure out how to tell her as well as when to change his vacation plans. October. She could do October. It was still three months away. Sharon and Rusty would have to get through the summer, Rusty would start a new semester, and they would do all that before Andy would return. She could do it; she didn't like it, but she could do it.

Sharon sat back in her desk chair and fingered the paper in her hands, not wanting to let it go. She realized how silly it was; she knew Andy hadn't written the note himself, but was a piece of evidence, so to speak, connecting Andy to Sharon. Oh, how she missed him. More time passed than she realized because when she looked at her watch, it was now time to go home. Sharon folded the note and put it in her purse; she wasn't going to leave anything that was tied to Andy. For now, it was time to go home, to be in her sanctuary where she could at least look at the photos of Andy she now had in her home.

"I'm home," she called out to Rusty when she finally dragged herself in the door. She was exhausted and still had a dull headache.

"Hey," Rusty smiled at her when she walked into the kitchen. He was standing at the stove working on dinner.

"Smells good," she smiled. "What are you making?"

"Chicken," he told her. "Baked chicken, vegetables, rice-all okay?" he asked.

"Perfect, thank you," she squeezed his arm as she put her tea on so it could boil.

"How was your day?" Sharon asked as she sat to talk to Rusty.

"Busy," Rusty told her. "The textbook shipment for next semester, at least the biggest shipment, arrived today. I'm worn out from unloading it."

"I'm sure you are," Sharon smiled at him. "Still, it's good work for you."

"Yeah, yeah," Rusty waved to her, "you keep saying it. Sharon, it's just a job."

"As is mine, but still, we both have a job. Let's be thankful for that. Yours isn't a career; you will have this job for awhile and will then find something you love, Rusty," Sharon smiled at him.

He looked to her and noted the rather sad expression on her face, "You can't have your career anymore because of me. I know you loved being a police captain, and you can't do that. Sharon, I'm sorry."

She gave him a sympathetic smile, "Rusty, do not apologize. That was a different season of my life. I'm trying to remain positive, thinking of it in that capacity. I can't change things, and I'm glad we are both safe here."

"Still," Rusty nodded.

"Still," Sharon repeated and just shrugged.

The two remained silent for a few moments as Rusty turned his attention back to dinner, and Sharon's mind drifted. She heard her tea kettle and stood to make her cup of tea.

"I do have some rather sad news," Sharon said when she broke the silence. Rusty turned to her with a puzzled look. "I got a message today from a Mr. Watson that his next trip here would be delayed until October."

Rusty narrowed his gaze as he processed the message, and then he smiled when he realized what Sharon was telling him. "The lieutenant sent you a message calling himself Mr. Watson?" He chuckled. "Man, I miss Buzz too, all of them, but he was a good friend. Oh, I just realized-" he trailed off as his gaze met Sharon's.

"Yes," she nodded. "Andy won't be visiting until October."

"Oh man," Rusty sighed as he frowned. "Sharon, I'm sorry. That's just not cool."

"Indeed," Sharon nodded. "Something has obviously come up. Andy found a way to tell us, and there's nothing we can do. We will wait. Yes, it's a setback, but it is what it is."

"Sharon, I wish I could change everything. You gave up your life, your kids, your job, the lieutenant," he shook his head.

Sharon stood and walked to Rusty where she pulled him into a hug, "Stop. I want to be here to keep you safe. Andy will come visit when he can. I'm glad he could get the message to me. I would have worried."

"So, you're okay he broke the rules?" Rusty teased. "Sharon, who always wants to enforce the rules, is okay knowing the lieutenant broke the rules about making contact?" He grinned, and Sharon swatted her hand toward him.

"You are a rotten child," she teased as she gestured with her hand. Rusty just grinned. The two smiled softly at each other, and then Rusty spoke.

"So, we had talked about taking a summer vacation when the lieutenant came. Even though he's not coming in August, Sharon, can you and I still take a vacation? Please?" he asked.


	17. Chapter 17

"This is not a vacation, Sharon," Rusty grumbled as they pulled into the hotel.

"What's not to enjoy, Rusty?" she smiled. "Road trip, away from home, a hotel, and we'll enjoy the sites while we are here."

"Sharon, in no way do I classify a trip to a chocolate factory a vacation," he complained again as he looked around. "Besides, we're still surrounded by farms, nature, and stuff," he grimaced. "I lost count of the number of cows we passed from the freeway."

"Interstate," she corrected him. "Remember, they call it the interstate here, not the freeway."

"Well, I'm not from here," he grumbled again. "Only you would think a trip to a chocolate factory was a vacation. I'm surprised you didn't try to make me ready Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the drive here."

Sharon smiled as she chuckled slightly. Rusty looked to her, wondering what was comical in all this, and she shrugged at him. "Come on; let's get checked in. We're going to have a good few days. It's a road trip, Rusty. We hardly ever get to do this; we're seeing part of the country we don't know well. We'll tour the Hershey plant, and we'll go to Hersheypark. You said you haven't been on many roller coasters, just the rides at Disneyland when you, Andy, and I took Nicole's boys."

Rusty nodded slightly as he looked around. "The park did look cool from what we could see from the road and online. I do want to try some of the rides," he admitted.

"See," Sharon smiled. "It will be a fun trip. We can relax here for a couple days and enjoy the peace and quiet. You and I have both been working hard."

It was the end of July, and Sharon had thought long and hard about a vacation destination with Rusty. Originally, when Andy had planned to visit in August, she and Andy had talked about taking Rusty to Michigan to stay on one of the Great Lakes for a week. She couldn't do it, not without Andy. It almost felt like cheating. It had been a trip they'd discussed at the end of his visit, and both had gotten excited about it. Michigan was somewhere, now, she only wanted to visit when Andy could come with them. So, she'd started to do so research. She'd talked to some people at work, and ironically, George had given her the idea to take Rusty to Hershey, Pennsylvania. She had been eating lunch in the break room one day over the 4th of July holiday weekend when George had come in for his lunch. The two had struck up a conversation.

 _"Surprised you are here for the holiday weekend," George had smiled. "No summer vacation for you?"_

 _"No," Sharon frowned, "not at the moment. My boyfriend was going to visit, and we were going to take my son on a trip, but plans changed," she shrugged._

 _"Ahh, so are you going to do anything? You really should get away. It's refreshing to go somewhere, anywhere," he offered._

 _"Maybe," Sharon said quietly. "I'm not sure where we'd go. I don't want to take a lot of time off; I'd rather save that for when my boyfriend can visit, but it would be nice to take a few days to go somewhere. We just don't know the area that well."_

 _"I'm not sure if you're into road trips, but have you ever been to Hershey?" he asked._

 _Sharon smiled as she tried to see if he was serious, "As in the candy?" she asked._

 _"Yes," he grinned. "They have a factory you can tour, and there is an amusement park there your son might enjoy. I have family in the area, and it's always a fun destination."_

 _"Hershey," she repeated._

 _"Hershey, Pennsylvania," he clarified. "It fits your criteria. It's not that far-a few hours away, it's somewhere you haven't been, and I think you'll enjoy it. It's pretty relaxing."_

 _"Thank you," Sharon smiled. "I'll check it out. That might be perfect."_

From what Sharon could tell so far, this was going to be the perfect spot for them. She and Rusty could use a relaxing getaway; they had been working long hours at both their jobs. Sharon had been setting the department for the fall line, and Rusty had recently finished his finals and was busy at the bookstore. The timing of everything also coincided with a day Sharon wanted a distraction, July 29. When Sharon had left LA, she'd had a few moments to say good-bye to Andy. He'd remined her to remember July 29.

 _"Nicole's wedding, our first date, sort of," he smiled. "Although, a certain boss of mine, who shall remain nameless, didn't want to call it a date. July 29, that's our date. I'll think of you always, but do something special on that day. I will too. We can keep that date."_

Sharon hadn't forgotten; the date was marked on her calendar, their unofficial first date, even though she'd still deny it today it was a date. She had been married at the time, something she held sacred even if Jack had not. Still, it was what they had, she and Andy, July 29. Today was July 28, so she had planned her vacation getaway over her "anniversary" date with Andy. It seemed to fit. She'd been worried they would not get a hotel in Hershey with the date being so close to her vacation search. Initially, everything had been booked, but she'd called two hotels for several days until a cancellation became available. Now, here they were, ready to enjoy a few days away from their fake Ohio home over her fake anniversary date with Andy. Sharon was doing her best to NOT make the vacation feel as fake as other areas of her life currently felt.

"Sharon?" she heard and shook her head as she turned to Rusty. She moved quickly, now flustered to find that Rusty was out of the car and looking at her still sitting there. "If we're staying, let's get checked in. I'd really like to get some dinner. Hey, do they leave chocolates on your bed? I mean, it is Hershey," he grinned.

Sharon rolled her eyes at Rusty, "Come on; let's get our room and then you fed. It's going to be a great trip."

By the end of the next day, Sharon was wondering why she hadn't visited Hershey before now. It had been a lovely day, one she had enjoyed, even if she hadn't been able to contact Andy or spend any time with him. She'd thought of him often during the day, Nicole as well, seeing as how it was Nicole's wedding anniversary. She even suspected Andy was most likely babysitting this evening, that is, if he wasn't stuck at work. Andy loved his grandkids, and Sharon knew he would have offered to watch the kids so Nicole and Dean could enjoy their anniversary. Andy had promised to bring pictures of the boys on his next visit; Sharon missed them too. They were family, she had quickly realized, and she missed them in ways similar to how she missed her own children. July 29 had been a good day. She and Rusty had taken the tour at the Hershey factory, sampled chocolate, and everything else one could possibly do, to even include that they had spent a good amount of money on chocolate. The way Sharon saw it, Andy would have most likely taken her to a nice dinner, where they would have had dessert. If she couldn't enjoy that, she was going to drown her sorrows in chocolate, and she had. She'd bought quite a bit, and both she and Rusty had enjoyed ice cream sundaes during the day.

"Okay, so maybe Hershey isn't so bad," Rusty said as he walked up to her. She looked up from her pool chair to find Rusty carrying yet another huge ice cream sundae. After their morning at the chocolate factory, they had gotten some lunch and were now enjoying the hotel's pool.

Sharon chuckled as she nodded to him, "I take it you like all the different uses of chocolate around here."

"Well, yeah," he replied somewhat smugly. "You should have told me that an insane amount of chocolate would be at my disposal on this trip, and it's not even just chocolate. I didn't realize Hershey made so many different things."

"Good," Sharon nodded. "I bought you something else when I went in to the gift shop for a cranberry juice. I bought you this," she handed him a bag.

He eyed it as he accepted it, and then he frowned when he pulled out the item.

"Milton Hershey's biography?" he frowned. "Really?"

Sharon shrugged, "The lady in the gift shop said it was a great read, very informative. I know you like to read, so study up about him," she gestured. "One thing you should know about me is that when Emily and Ricky were little and we took trips, I always found a way to make them educational too."

Rusty rolled his eyes, "Can't wait to read it, Sharon," he flashed a fake smile. "I think I'll stick to enjoying my ice cream right now." He sat down on the pool chair next to her and continued, "Are we still going to Hersheypark tomorrow?"

"Yes, is that okay?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "I did some reading up on the coasters," he flashed another grin. "See, there's your educational experience," he teased. "Some of the rides look pretty cool. Are you riding them too?"

"Hmm, maybe a few, but the park is really for you," she told him.

"Mommy is taking Rusty to the park," he teased. "Is this to make up for all the years you missed?"

"Precisely," Sharon held back a grin as she closed her eyes to relax in her chair. She had noticed that she did feel relaxed, not that she still wasn't thinking of Andy, but she was at least relaxed. Sharon knew she hadn't felt that way in a long time.

Rusty chatted with her for a few more minutes while he finished his ice cream, and then he told her he was going to get back in the pool. After he left, Sharon rested for a few more minutes, and then she pulled out her journal to write more for the day.

Sharon had been doing a good job of keeping up with her journal. She wrote to Andy constantly, telling him about her day, her thoughts, and anything else she could write. She'd even written to him about times she was frustrated with Rusty and looked forward to Andy's next visit when she could share the journal. She continued to write, and she smiled when she realized her posting for the day took three pages, making it the longest one she'd written. It seemed appropriate it was on July 29, their makeshift anniversary date.

By the end of the vacation, Rusty had stopped complaining about Hershey. It no longer was dull and lame, but instead, he'd even admitted to enjoying himself. Sharon knew the trip to a roller coaster theme park was a good idea when Rusty suggested another amusement park on the drive home.

"Sharon, did you know Ohio has one of the biggest theme parks in the country? Cedar Point, Sharon," he told her as he nodded. "We need to go there. They have all sorts of roller coasters, and a lot of them break records for being the tallest or fastest in the world for different categories."

"Oh, so you're admitting you do like roller coasters?" she teased as she drove. Rusty had driven the first couple hours, and they had recently switched.

"Well, yeah, they're fun," he shrugged. "So, while we are stuck in Ohio, we should go to Cedar Point."

Sharon nodded at his logic, "I think we can make that happen, Rusty."

"I can't believe I haven't heard more about this place," he said as he continued to study his phone. "I'll have to ask some of the guys at work about Cedar Point. I bet they've been there."

"Mmm, perhaps you should," Sharon nodded. "Maybe you would like to take a trip there yourself, with some friends, I mean," Sharon suggested.

"Hmm, I don't like the idea of leaving you alone, Sharon," he frowned.

"Rusty, I am a grown woman, a trained police officer. Do not hang around the house because you are worried about me."

He just nodded, "Yeah, okay. I just, I know we're alone here."

"I'll be fine, Rusty. If you want to do something with friends, please do. I want you to enjoy our life here."

"Do you think we'll ever go home?" he asked.

Sharon sighed as she shook her head absentmindedly, "Rusty-" she stopped herself.

"Okay," Rusty nodded, dropping the conversation.

"Let's talk about school. Your semester starts soon. I can't believe you are well underway in your college career. LA or not, you, young man, are going to get that college degree, Sharon nodded to him.


	18. Chapter 18

**So, like everyone else, I'm devastated they announced Major Crimes is ending. I love these characters so much! Back to writing...**

* * *

"Thanks for having us, Andy," Emily smiled to him as she and Ricky finished loading the car. They had driven down from San Francisco for a visit, and well, Emily had done more than that. She'd flown to California to visit her little brother, and the two had spent a few days in LA. It wasn't the same; their mom wasn't there, and they couldn't stay in the condo, not that it was ever really their home, but it had been their mom's home. Still, they'd come to LA, to see Andy and to get some answers they couldn't get from him on the phone.

"I'm glad you could come. Don't be a stranger. You're welcome here anytime," Andy smiled to her and opened his arms to give her a hug. "Ricky, be safe on the drive home," he said to him as he pulled back from Emily to shake Ricky's hand. "And, if you don't mind, let me know when you get back home, and you too, Emily, when you get back to New York."

"Will do, Andy," Ricky smiled. "Thanks for taking care of everything here," he gestured to the area, meaning LA, as they were standing outside of Andy's house. The kids had stayed with him, as they had no other home right now. Andy had done what Sharon had asked him when she left; he'd cleaned out and rented her condo. The personal items that she'd left behind and hadn't been allowed to be packed, he'd packed and was storing around his house. Most of it was in the one guest bedroom, but he had a few larger things in the garage.

"I'm really glad to get Mom's rings," Emily offered a small smile at Andy as the three still stood close together. "I know we discussed we won't pry, but I'm glad they made their way to you. Thank you for letting us know that you'd heard Mom is at least safe."

Andy offered a sad smile, as the three stood there. It had been a good visit, a sad one, but a good one. Andy wanted so badly to tell the kids he'd found Sharon and Rusty, but he couldn't. He knew Emily and Ricky could keep a secret, but he was worried about their safety. Plus, he knew that while logically they could understand, emotionally they might not. The kids missed their mom terribly, and as hard as it was to keep Sharon's whereabouts from them, it was important to her safety, Rusty's safety. So, he'd told them that the rings had made their way to him, through the program. Yes, he knew that it was a terrible thing to hide, but he knew it was for the best.

"She wanted you to have them. I know your dad is a piece of work, but still," he shrugged. "They were your mom's rings."

"I'll say it again, even though we told you this several times over the last few days. She really loved you, Andy, loves you," Emily sighed. "I know she loves you. You were always so good to her. She was happy with you, with whatever you were calling your friendship, your relationship."

Andy just nodded, a bit teary eyed himself. He'd let Emily and Ricky do a lot of the talking over the weekend, but he wanted them to go home knowing one thing, "I love you mother," Andy finally smiled at them. "I have for a long time, a very long time. She loves me too; that I know. I didn't tell you before now, but we had just a few minutes alone before they took Rusty and your mom away. She knew," he sighed. "I told her, so she knew. She told me too. She's the love of my life; I'm certain about that, and even with everything going on, we love each other very much."

"I hate this," Emily teared up as she shook her head and turned away. "Andy, I am just so sorry. I hope they catch him soon. We miss mom terribly, but we can still go home to our lives. She was your life here. You were good for her, and I know you've said she was good for you. I'm sorry."

Andy put his arms around Emily, "I'm doing okay. She was a huge part of my life here, but I'm okay. I've got you kids, all of you. I'm really glad Nicole could come over while you were here. It felt like real family time. I'm sorry Nate was out of town for work. Yeah, I know you've all met before, but this was really a good few days."

Emily just nodded "The boys are so cute. I'm glad we could all get together too. Mom would have loved it."

"Yeah, I even miss the little brother," Ricky sighed, jumping into the conversation. "Never thought I'd say that," he chuckled.

"You two best get on the road," Andy nodded to them. "It's getting later in the day, and you have quite the drive."

"We're young, Andy," Ricky flashed a smile. "We stay up late, unlike you old people. Thanks for lunch, and well, thanks for everything."

"My pleasure," he nodded. "Be safe, and I'll talk to you both soon." Andy watched as they pulled out of his driveway, and he walked slowly back up his porch stairs. He sat on his top step and looked to his yard and street. It was a quiet afternoon. He'd taken two days off when he'd found out Emily and Ricky could come for a visit at the end of July. He'd been happy the dates he suggested worked out with them. Major Crimes was already scheduled for a long weekend, and he took an extra day on both ends of the weekend to spend with the kids, Emily, Ricky, and Nicole. It had been good. Nicole and Dean had been over almost every day the Radyor kids had been visiting. They'd had cookouts, pizza night, and just last night, Andy, Emily, and Ricky had entertained Nicole and Dean's kids so they could go out for their anniversary dinner. It really had been good family time, but he was just missing his favorite person. The visit had been at the perfect time too, just over the date he'd told Sharon to always remember. He had thought of her a lot over the last two days, which was an understatement too because well, he thought of her a lot all the time. Over the last two days, though, he'd thought a lot back to their first date, or outing, since he knew the word 'date' scared Sharon back then. Andy knew she'd remember the day and just hoped she had found something enjoyable to do. He'd ask her when he saw her, which was now still just over two months away. Two more months; it was a long time, but he could do it, especially if it meant it kept Sharon and Rusty safe. Andy stood and started to the house. He had a lot to write down; he and Sharon had talked about writing in journals, and he wanted to write down a lot from the kids' visit. He would share it all when he saw her in just over two months.

He was almost to the kitchen when his phone rang. He frowned when he saw it was Provenza.

"What?" he barked into the phone. "I took the day off, although, I must say you are slipping if it's 2:00, and you are just noticing that now."

"Flynn, what are you making for dinner?" Provenza asked without addressing anything else Andy had said. Andy sighed as he shook his head.

"I don't know, probably not much of anything. Leftovers maybe. Emily and Ricky just left."

"Good, then you haven't started dinner yet. Meet me at the steak buffet I like at 5:30. Early Bird Special goes until 6:00," Provenza told him.

"No, I don't feel like meeting you at a steak buffet, Provenza," Andy sighed.

"You'll meet me for dinner, or we'll all show up there and make you cook us dinner. That's an order, Flynn," Provenza told him.

"What, so now for the first time in your 40 years on the job you decided to give orders?" Andy chuckled. "Good one."

"Oh, just stuff it! We haven't had dinner together in a long time. Patrice is out of town for a few days. You can catch me up on your visit with the Raydor spawn now that you are done playing daddy to them for the weekend. Look, I'll even buy your dinner."

"You're just saying that because it's a 'Buy One, Get One Free' deal Provenza!" Andy exclaimed.

"Well?" Provenza offered. "I don't see the captain here offering to take your sorry self to dinner. Come on, Flynn. I won't even make you get water. You can get a cup of coffee."

"Fine," Andy sighed. "5:30, and I'll see you there."

"I knew the coffee would get you. She never let you get coffee at dinner, did she?" he teased.

"That's not true at all, Provenza! We always get coffee with our dinner!" Andy exclaimed. Provenza knew how to get Andy going, but really, he did care about his friend. The two men just had odd ways of showing it. "I'm coming to dinner only because I do know you, and you will show up here and bother me all evening."

"Well, I need a good steak after my day with Davis. Be glad you weren't here. Maybe I should tag along with you on your next vacation," Provenza said.

"Yeah, now that's a good laugh," Andy chuckled. "See you at 5:30. Don't make Davis even more irritated. You know she'll ruin your day by making you stay late again like she did to all of us last week."

"Don't remind me, Flynn. See you in a couple hours," Provenza said and hung up.

Andy shook his head. He knew Provenza, in his odd way, was being a great friend. He appreciated that, even though the old coot irritated him to no end. He'd go to dinner. He, the vegetarian, would go to the steak buffet and indulge Provenza. Life was going on; he just wasn't sure how much longer he'd have to live without Sharon by his side in LA.


	19. Chapter 19

"I hate my psychology class," Rusty groaned as he closed the door and moved into the house. He threw his bag on the couch, and then he followed behind, slumping down on it himself. Sharon briefly looked up from the book she was reading and pursed her lips. She put the book down, leaned forward, took a sip of her wine, and then she turned to Rusty.

"You'll survive it," she said as she put her wine glass down on the coffee table and marked the page in her book. She closed it, and she turned her attention to Rusty. "What's the particular problem today?"

"I just hate it. I feel like I'm in a Dr. Joe session each class. It's just not me. With my past, I don't know," he sighed. He shook his head and continued, "I can't discuss my past, yet, for this class, it's so relevant. It's just frustrating. I know there is a lot I could say, a lot that applies to me. I just, uggh!" he exclaimed as he put his hands on his face. He flipped over so his head was buried in the couch.

Sharon nodded as she listened. That was about all she could do anymore. Rusty's frustration had become an almost daily occurrence since he had started his psychology class. He had it Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the afternoon, so it often took over a lot of their Friday evening discussions. It was now the end of September. Sharon had worked Sunday-Thursday this week, so she had Friday off; in fact, she had a long weekend with Saturday and Sunday off before she went back to work on Monday. She wasn't sure when Andy might arrive; she was hoping to take a few days off when he did. She knew he'd told her October in his cryptic message, and based on that, she believed she had another week or so before he came. She's stacked her schedule a little over the next month with three-day weekends when she could, working long weeks here and there to make up the difference. She'd checked with her boss, telling him her boyfriend would be visiting from California as soon as he got a break from work, and her boss had been fine with it. Sharon's work ethic made up for any possible issues anyone might raise with her taking a few days off. She worked a lot, she worked hard, and she did a great job at work.

"Well, since we can't change any of that, why don't you pull yourself off the couch and help me with dinner? I may have made burgers. They are marinating in the refrigerator, and all we need to do is throw them on the grill. I've sliced onions and tomatoes, so I have all your favorite toppings. I made a couple of different salads, a potato salad for one, and when we are done with dinner, we could head to the drive-in movie?" she suggested.

Rusty raised his head from the couch, "You made potato salad? I love potato salad," he stated.

"Hmm, yes, I know-hence, why I made it. I do know what you like, Rusty," she grinned.

"Burgers," he grumbled. "I love burgers."

"Again, aware of that statement as well," she chuckled. She stood and rustled his hair as she passed by him still face down on the couch. She made her way into the kitchen and started to move around. Rusty sighed, pulled himself off the couch, and he started toward the grill.

"I'll grill the burgers," he said. He looked to Sharon and smirked, "Just trying to help."

"You are not," she chuckled. "You just don't like how I grill the burgers."

"Because you cook them so they are well done, even when you tell me you are going to cook them medium. I like them almost undercooked. Even the lieutenant who doesn't eat meat cooks them just as I like. By the way, any idea when he's coming. You said October. It's October on Sunday," he told her.

"I haven't heard anything more," she let out a soft sigh. "I guess we will just be surprised when he gets here. I don't even know how long he can stay. I did tell my boss, so hopefully, I can take a few days off when Andy visits."

Rusty just nodded and started out the back door. "Wait," he paused and turned back to Sharon, before he continued, "did you say a drive-in movie?" Rusty grimaced as he waited for Sharon's reply.

"Yes!" she said excitedly. "They are starting those for the next couple months. I thought it would be fun. They are running movies Friday and Saturday evening, and I thought tonight would be less crowded. So many are going to the high school football game, I thought it would be fun for us."

"Really, Sharon?" he sighed. "Those are like best for like dates," he frowned. "We are not on a date."

"Oh, Rusty," she waved her hand at him. "Come on! Where is your sense of fun? We can make a big bowl of popcorn and sit in the car to enjoy the movie. I really am looking forward to going."

"You should just wait and take the lieutenant," he grimaced again.

"I do plan to take him," she nodded. "I'd like to check it out before he comes though. Rusty, it's either the movie or you can sit here and complain more about psychology class." She held back a smile, one Rusty knew she was hiding.

He rolled his eyes before agreeing, "Fine, I'll go. I can't promise I'll like it."

"Great," she smiled. "It's a double-header, and if we don't like the movie, we can always leave."

"Can't wait," Rusty said sarcastically as he started out the door.

"Oh Rusty," Sharon called after him with a teasing tone to her voice. "Try to enjoy it, or I'll make sure you have to come along when Andy and I do go on a date to the movies," she finally smiled at Rusty as she waved her hand. "That would give you something to discuss in psychology class."

Rusty groaned, and Sharon grinned to herself as she heard the back door smack shut. Rusty was being a typical young adult, and she knew it. He was well into his next semester at school. The two had started to discuss his transferring into a four-year-college next year. As much as the two hated the idea for many reasons, it was one they were exploring. For one thing, it meant that Rusty would leave home, and both were apprehensive about that. It also meant that they were looking at college here in the Midwest for Rusty, nothing on the West Coast, making this move of theirs more permanent. Neither knew when or if Stroh would be captured, and they had to prepare they could stay in Ohio for the foreseeable future.

It took another half hour to get dinner on the table, but when it was finally ready the two sat to eat. "Oh, so a couple good things today, even though I had to suffer through my class," Rusty said between bites as they ate dinner.

"Oh?" Sharon asked.

"They've had some four-year schools on campus. I talked to a couple today. Ohio State is just way too big, Sharon. I don't want something that big. As much as I thought I did, it's not for me," he sighed. "I think it would be different if we were in LA. I was familiar with LA and probably would have gone to UCLA or something. Since we're here, I'm just not feeling Ohio State. I talked to their rep today, and it just didn't click."

"Okay," Sharon nodded. "Anything click?" she enunciated the last word since it had been the word Rusty had used.

He nodded, "I'd like to visit Miami," he told her.

"Florida?" she turned her nose to him. "Rusty, speaking of bigger schools," she started to say and trailed off.

"No, Miami of Ohio. It's smaller, and they have a good English and journalism area."

"Oh, I see," Sharon nodded as she processed what he'd said. "Well, we can certainly do that. I didn't think you'd want a school in more of a rural setting. From what I've read, it's not in the middle of a huge city or anything."

"Yeah, I know," Rusty nodded. "Still, I would like to go visit the campus. Their rep today had a lot of good information. Do you think we could check it out?"

"Of course," Sharon smiled brightly. "I'd love to check out the school."

"Any plans for two weeks from now? They are doing this literature festival that weekend. It sounded cool," he told her.

"Well," Sharon wiped her mouth as she finished chewing, "no specific plans. I don't know when Andy is coming, as I said. If he's here, I'm sure he would enjoy tagging along with us. If not, we will go on our own. I can leave word here if we haven't heard from him. As much as I'd like to wait here day after day, it's going to drive me crazy to do that. A road trip sounds like a great plan."

"Cool," Rusty nodded. "I'm going to register for a campus tour and everything after dinner. I'm actually excited," he nodded.

"I'm glad to hear it, Rusty," Sharon smiled. "I hope the campus is what you want it to be. It's hard to believe you will graduate in another year."

"Yeah, I asked about that," Rusty told her. "I've got almost a year of credit in here now. I was looking at my schedule, and if I take one extra class in the winter, and then I load up in the summer, I could finish in time for the fall semester there next year."

"You'd want to do that?" Sharon asked. "Rusty, I know they admit students for the winter as well."

"For once, Sharon, I'd like to do something as a normal person. It's weird enough I'd be transferring into a school. I think I'd like to start when other kids are starting. I wouldn't be as weird," he explained.

"Okay," Sharon nodded. "You've done well with your classes so far. I'm so proud of you, and I'll support you however I can. You certainly took a full load this semester, and you did take classes all summer."

"Right," he nodded, "which is now how I'm almost caught up to graduate at the end of next summer. The schools don't have a firm deadline for admission, so I should be able to still apply this winter for them to look at me for next fall."

"Okay," Sharon nodded. "We have a plan. Let's finish eating and head to the drive-in movie," she smiled.

"Sharon," Rusty groaned. "That's for like old people."

"Hmm, you live with an old person, Rusty. Think of it as just taking care of your elderly mother," she grinned.


	20. Chapter 20

It was Sunday late afternoon. Sharon really wanted to go home. She'd been at work now for seven hours. Thankfully, she'd been able to go to the early Mass before having to come into work. That, at least, had kept her from being irritated. Now, she was just tired, but tired was better than irritated AND tired. It didn't help that she and Rusty had been missing each other the last week. His classes and work schedule had picked up, and they'd barely seen each other. She knew he was alive, at least, because he'd made dinner and saved leftovers for her. She'd done the same for him, and the next day, she'd noticed the leftovers she'd left for him had been eaten, so hopefully, their schedules would align soon. He was supposed to be off tomorrow, and Sharon hoped they could eat a decent meal together.

Her mood was a little off too, considering it was now the middle of October, and she hadn't heard a word from Andy. That was bothering her too, and whenever she did finally see him, she had decided they needed to do something about communication. Their lack of communication wasn't working, and there had to be a better way. She and Rusty had been in Ohio now over 10 months, and there had been no sign or mention of Stroh. That, too, wasn't helping her mood. Yes, Sunday afternoon, and she needed her work day to end. She still had another hour before the store closed, and after that, she'd probably have another hour of paperwork to do before she could head home. Oh, she needed a day off soon. Her schedule was set to align that she would be off Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of the following week. Sharon had decided that she would pamper herself some over her long weekend. She was due for a haircut, and with that, she had booked a massage and her nails. Yes, Friday was going to be a good day.

Sharon decided that since they weren't too busy, she was going to get started on some of her closing business right now. She had two other associates on the floor, and each one was helping a customer, but the rest of the department was empty. She pulled out a binder and started to write down a few notes, when her associate, Henry, interrupted her.

"Sorry to bother you, Sandra," he said, "but I was hoping you could assist a customer in picking out the right colors. He's not too keen on my help."

Sharon looked up from the books and met Henry's eyes. She could tell he was pleading with her to help. "Yes, of course," she nodded. "Would you go back and check the hourly numbers for the day? I had just gotten started on that," she explained as she handed him the pencil to record the numbers. There was a computer program for this too, but Sharon was required to hand check everything each day.

"No problem," Henry said as he let out a long breath. "Thank you. He's over there," he gestured.

Sharon made her way toward the dressing room area near the designer suits. She broke into a huge grin when she recognized the problematic customer as he casually leaned up against the rack of suits. "Purple or red?" he flashed a grin as he held up two tie selections, and Sharon moved a little faster toward him.

"Andy," she said sweetly as she smiled at him. Andy put down the ties and opened his arms to her. She didn't throw herself into his arms; she did recognize she was at work, but she embraced him swiftly.

"Oh, I missed you so much," Andy said quietly into her ear as he ran his hand over her hair. Sharon gripped him tightly and when she pulled back, she smiled at him, before the two met for a lingering kiss. "I hope that was okay and won't get you in trouble here," he smiled.

"It's perfectly fine," Sharon smiled at him, both still standing close to each other. Sharon now had her arms on his shoulders and was looking up at him. "Oh, you look so handsome," she sighed. "You and that leather jacket," she shook her head.

"I wasn't sure how cold it would be here yet. It's definitely chilly," he nodded.

"It is," she nodded in agreement. The weather really turned last week. Before then, we were enjoying some lovely weather. Almost a week ago, it was like a switch was flipped; the weather has been cold and dreary. The forecast for the rest of October isn't much better. It seems that even fall is on its way out. Rusty was ranting about the snow already. He'd heard at school they've gotten snow here on Halloween."

"I can't wait to catch up with you," Andy smiled. Sharon put her hand near his mouth and wiped off the lipstick. She then took his hand in hers and nodded toward the register area.

"I can't either. I'm so glad you are here. I was beginning to wonder," she said as they started walking hand in hand.

He nodded, "I know. We've got to do something about communicating. It has been brutal not being able to call you, to tell you when I was coming. I'm sorry about August. I hope you got that message."

"I did," she turned and smiled. "Thank you for letting me know, and I completely agree about a better communication method. Now," she stopped just a few feet from where her associates were working, "may I introduce you to my sales associates?"

"Sure," he smiled. "Your guy, Henry, he was instrumental in my surprise."

"I gather," she grinned. "Did you scare him or something?"

"No," Andy shook his head as if he was surprised at the question. "He approached me as I was browsing. I wasn't sure you would be working today. In fact, I figured you probably weren't working, but I had to drive through here on my way to the house, so I stopped in to check. I asked him if you were working, and I told him I was your boyfriend just in from California trying to surprise you. Lucky for me, I didn't look like a strange stalker, and you were working, so it almost appeared as if I already knew that."

"You," she patted his chest, "are very good at surprises. Come on," she encouraged him, and she turned to lead him to the counter. Andy walked next to her now, respecting that she was at work, so he didn't reach for her hand. "Henry, Justin, this is Andy," she nodded to him. "He's just flown in from California to surprise me."

"Nice to meet you both," Andy nodded. "Henry, thank you for helping pull off my surprise."

"Not a problem, Andy," Henry extended his hand and shook Andy's. "Nice to meet you as well. You've got a good one," he nodded to Sharon. "We are lucky to have her as a boss."

"Thank you," Andy grinned. "I tend to agree." He looked to Justin, "Nice to meet you as well, Justin," Andy said as he extended his hand. "I'm sure you both make the job a lot easier here for Sandra. I know she likes working with you both." Andy looked from Henry to Justin and then to Sharon. She had a good department; he could tell. He wasn't at all jealous, not that he ever had reason to be, but Sharon's associates were much younger. He could tell they would be good in the men's department as both were wearing suits perfectly tailored. Justin had on a brown suit with a navy shirt and paisley tie, something Andy could see Rusty wearing, while Henry had on a black suit with a cream-colored shirt and tie, something Andy wore often himself. He knew if he was shopping for a suit, he'd want help from any of them in the department. Sharon certainly looked classy too, as she had on a beautiful skirt suit as well with a gray silk shirt under it.

"How long are you visiting?" Justin asked him. Sharon glanced around the department and noticed it was empty. She looked at her watch, and was happy to see that it was almost closing time.

"Two weeks," he grinned as he looked to Sharon. "I'm really happy to get some time off. My vacation plans changed over the summer, and to make up for it, I've got a nice block of time."

Sharon's smile grew wider as Andy spoke, and she retrained herself from leaning up and throwing her arms around him. She was thrilled to hear Andy would be in town for two weeks.

"Sandra, I know I'm happy to adjust my schedule if you need some time off," Justin offered.

"Thank you, Justin," she nodded. "I will do some adjusting to things. I'm already off Friday-Monday, but that isn't even including any vacation time. I had already alerted the higher ups that I would want some vacation time in October, and I will sit down tonight and figure out what works best."

"I'm flexible too," Henry nodded. "It's pretty obvious you've been working plenty of overtime lately. The holiday set is coming up, and Justin and I had already talked about taking on that setup. You did the last one."

"We will figure it out," Sharon smiled. "Now, let's start to close up here. It's almost time to head home." As Sharon was saying that, the department store made a similar announcement on its intercom. Justin and Henry met her gaze and nodded to her. They both spread out in the department to check on thigs and tidy up as the store was closing. She looked to Andy, "Rusty wasn't planning on making it home for dinner tonight. Would you like to get something to eat?"

"That would be great. I'm starving. I've been on a plane most of the day. Where would you like me to go while you close up here?" he asked.

"My office is fine," she told him. "I'll show you to it, and as soon as we are closed up here on the floor, you and I can head home. I have paperwork to sign, but that can be done at home. You are more important." Sharon gestured toward her office, and Andy followed closely behind her. She used her keys to unlock the doorway to the personnel hallway, and she grinned when Andy put his hand on her back.

"Two weeks," he said quietly as she looked back at him. "I'm here for two weeks. My flight leaves November 1, so I'm even here for Halloween."

"Ohh, I'm so happy," Sharon put her hand on her office door and turned to Andy. "I can't believe you're here again. You can tell me all the details about your trip, home, the kids, the team, everything," she said quietly, "over dinner. Now," she opened the door, "sit and relax. I've got a variety of teas there if you would like something to drink. You can make hot water in the break room just down the hall."

"Are you sure it's okay I'm back here?" Andy asked.

Sharon nodded and walked to her desk. She rummaged around in the drawer, and then she pulled out a badge. "Here, a guest badge," she smiled. "I'll be back here shortly. Let me finish closing up."

A half hour later, Sharon and Andy walked hand in hand to her car. She pulled on his arm, drawing him even closer to her, while they held their other hands. Andy had Sharon's briefcase in his free hand. "Oh, please catch me up on everything. I have so many questions," she said excitedly.

"I want to know how you are doing?" Andy asked. "You look well, and let me just say, that I've missed your suits and heels almost as much as I've missed you," he winked at Sharon when she looked to him. She blushed as they reached her car.

"Where is your car?" she asked.

"I parked in the lot around the corner. Should we drive both cars to the restaurant?" he asked.

"Probably the best idea," Sharon nodded. "There's a great local Italian place nearby. Would that be okay with you? I'd offer the popular steakhouse, but that doesn't scream Andy to me," she smiled as she ran her now free hand over his shirt. Andy had worn casual clothing for travel. He had on khaki slacks, which were still casual enough for Andy, and he had on a long-sleeve two button dark green shirt. He'd paired that with his leather jacket, and Sharon was very glad he'd brought that.

"Sounds perfect," he nodded.

"I'll drive you to your car," she nodded to the passenger door. "I almost can't stand it, Andy. I want to know everything."

Andy nodded as he walked Sharon to the driver door and held it for her while she got in. She smiled and nodded to him in appreciation, and then he went back to the passenger side and got into the car. "Okay, here's just a drop in the bucket," he chuckled. "Provenza and Patrice are living together."

Sharon had started the car and was about to pull out when Andy told her that. She stopped and turned to him, her mouth now open. "No! Really?" she chuckled. "Oh, that has to be a story. I am not sure if I'm shocked or not that he's living with her. She seemed like a very nice woman the couple times I talked to her before all of this mess occurred."

Andy nodded, "Oh, she's by far the best woman Provenza has ever dated. Team is taking bets on his marrying her. We're not betting on the if, but the when," he flashed a grin at Sharon. "I think the guy would have already asked, but Patrice told him something about wanting to be sure."

Sharon covered her mouth in a giggle, "I guess she wants to be sure if she's what, his fifth marriage? That is a bit troubling, even as well as we all know Provenza."

Andy nodded, "It is, but I think it's a done deal. Provenza might just buy her a ring for Christmas. Guy is so cheap, he'd say that is her present."

Sharon started laughing even harder and then tried to fan herself to calm down. "Okay, that was a great tidbit of information. Let me get you to your car, and we can continue this discussion at dinner."

It only took another 10 minutes to get Andy's car and for the two to drive to the restaurant. Once they were seated, Andy took Sharon's hands in his. He'd purposely sat adjacent to her at the square table rather than across from her so the two could be closer. He kissed her hand while he looked at her. Sharon squeezed his hands.

"I wasn't just being kind when I said you look great, Sharon. You really look good," he nodded to her. She grinned and squeezed his hand again.

"You too. You look better than the last time you were here. You don't look as distraught," she told him.

"I'm not," he nodded in agreement. "I wasn't kidding when I told you I had run myself into the ground looking for you. Since I've been back in LA, I've been able to relax more. It kills me I can't talk to you and see you each day, but I'm exercising more like I promised. I'm not so irritable at work, and I'm doing things more with the team and the kids."

"I'm so glad to hear that," she sighed. "How are the kids? Have you spoken to them recently?" she asked with a hesitant shrug.

"Of course," he ran his thumb over her hands. They had shifted their mound of hands, but before they could talk more, their waitress interrupted. The two ordered water and coffee and turned their attention back to each other.

"Perhaps we should figure out what we want to eat?" she suggested as her eyes twinkled. "I am rather hungry."

"Of course," he nodded and handed Sharon her menu as he picked up his. He scanned it for less than a minute before he snapped it shut. Sharon eyed him. He shrugged, "I'm going for the basic spaghetti tonight. I really don't care what I eat. I like spaghetti, as do you, and I know we'll end up sharing our meals anyway."

She smiled warmly, "That is a very good choice. I had decided on the cannelloni," she told him, "but I can ask for half the order to be filled with cheese instead of the beef."

"Perfect," he winked. "We are a good pair.

"Indeed," she smiled, and the two pulled apart when the waitress returned. They were silent while she got their drinks situated, and the two went through the motions of ordering their meals. Finally, when they had finished that, Andy turned back to Sharon."

"The kids are doing great. They came to LA in July and stayed with me," he smiled.

Sharon's smile grew even wider, and she quickly wiped away a lone tear, "They came to LA and stayed with you?"

"Of course, Sharon," he smiled as he nodded to her. "They are family. We had a really good visit. In fact, I scheduled their visit over our anniversary date so I would have something to enjoy."

Sharon let out a half giggle, half cry, "I did the same thing! I mean, Rusty and I went on vacation then so I would have something to enjoy. I thought of you constantly and hoped you were doing something enjoyable that day."

Andy nodded, "I did. In fact, we got together with Nicole. Nate was out of town, but one evening while Nicole and Dean were at dinner, Emily, Ricky, and I kept the kids. I have a lot of pictures, but just envision Ricky building a fort in the back bedroom and then later covered in bubbles as the boys decided to give him a bubble beard while he supervised their bath. He wasn't in it or anything like that," Andy chuckled, "but they made sure to give him a full beard of bubbles."

Sharon covered her mouth as she chuckled. Andy winked at her again and waited for her to compose herself. "I don't know what to say."

"I know," he nodded. "I'm sure it's overwhelming to hear. The kids are doing well. They don't know I found you, which was hard because it took everything for me to not tell them. I gave Emily your rings and just explained they'd made their way to me through the program. Your kids are smart and didn't ask other questions. It was a good visit, and it was even better that your kids got to spend a lot of time with Nicole and with me. Sharon, it was torture not having you there, but we had a great time."

"I'm so glad," she smiled. "I can't wait to hear more about it. These two weeks are going to fly by."

"They are," he agreed. "I wrote in my journal all about it. You can read everything we did."

"You continued to write in the journal?" she smiled.

"Of course! We agreed to that. I couldn't my promise, not for the woman I love with all my heart."

The waitress arrived then, delivering bread and the salads. Andy's words hung in the air as the two stared at each other. They nodded their thanks to the waitress and then looked to their food.

"I'm hungry, but I'm not," she shook her head.

"I've waited so long to see you, Sharon," Andy sighed. "I can't tell you how hard it was to hear that I had to cancel my August trip. I'm sorry about that. Taylor was too; he had a conference come up that he had to attend, and basically, we would have been short staffed. Anyway, I'm here now, and we are going to make the most if it. To start, we aren't going to discuss Taylor," he groaned.

Sharon laughed and nodded, "Is Davis still in charge?"

"She is," Andy nodded. "Lucky for her, the department is running well. Taylor isn't feeling pressure to permanently fill your spot. I'm hoping they find Stroh soon so he's not put in that position. It's still just a leave of absence, but I'm not sure how long he can hold that."

Sharon sighed as she shook her head, "I can't believe we are almost into the holiday season. It's been hard enough without all of you here, and the holidays are going to be even worse."

"I know," Andy nodded. "Christmas isn't looking good; you know how that is. I did check into maybe just after the first of the year. I am guessing the holiday rush isn't good for your work either?"

"No," she sighed as she put down her fork. "Leave after the first of the year would be better, and I have to say, much needed. I'm exhausted already thinking of the holiday shoppers at the mall. You sound like you have more in mind than just a visit here to Ohio?" she questioned.

"I'm full of surprises," he winked.


	21. Chapter 21

One thing Sharon loved about her relationship with Andy was how easily they could pick up where they'd left off. While the two were very much aware of the time they'd been apart, they were very quickly making up for lost time. They talked all the way through dinner, unaware of anyone else in the restaurant. Stroh, himself, could have been seated near them, and they wouldn't have noticed. After dinner, they were hesitant to leave, only because they would have to make the half hour drive to Sharon's home separately.

The drive gave Sharon time to relax; Andy was here, and he wasn't going anywhere for two weeks. She would have to work some, yes, but Andy would make himself at home, she had no doubt. Rusty would be around some, too, so she hoped. His schedule was as crazy as hers, but she knew Rusty was missing Andy too. She chuckled as she turned onto their road, thinking that Rusty would be excited he could dust off his chess board.

Andy pulled in behind Sharon. She parked in the garage, and he pulled into the driveway so he wasn't blocking her in. Rusty would most likely park behind Sharon, and Andy wasn't sure he'd use his car much over the next couple weeks, so he wanted to make sure it wasn't in the way.

Sharon smiled at Andy as she made her way out of the garage to where he was now standing with the trunk open. "Do you need any help with your bags?"

"Actually, I could use some help," he smiled at her. "I brought a few bags."

"A few?" Sharon raised her eyebrows as she continued to walk toward his car. "Andy Flynn, I know you, and you aren't a heavy packer, even for two weeks. What did you bring?"

"Stuff," he shrugged as he tried to hide his grin. "Lots of your stuff," he said. "I know you hate the word stuff," he continued to smile, "and since Rusty uses it with you all the time, that's my description of what I brought."

Sharon reached the car and looked at his luggage, "Andy, you brought five suitcases? What in the world?" she shook her head.

"I told you," he smiled again, as he put his arms on her shoulders, "stuff, but to clarify, I brought a lot of the things the agents wouldn't or didn't pack. I brought things for you and Rusty. After they'd emptied your condo, you know I was the one who packed up the rest."

Sharon looked up at Andy with tears in her eyes, "You brought some of our things? Andy, I don't know what to say," she sighed as she shook her head and looked away. She looked back to him and found him staring at her, smiling. She leaned up and quickly kissed him. "Thank you. I am overwhelmed."

"Well, we can't have that," he said as he pecked her lips and winked at her. "Let's get all this inside, and I can give you all your stuff." Sharon laughed at his use of the word again, and the two pulled out all of Andy's bags.

"You used two of my suitcases," she chuckled.

Andy shrugged, "It was either that or buy more luggage, which seemed silly since yours was at my house." They maneuvered all the luggage into the living room, where Andy started looking at the markings on the bags. "Okay, this one is mine," he gestured to the largest of the three black suitcases. "I put all my things in that bag." He looked at the others. "The two navy blue bags, that are your actual bags, have your things in them. This black bag of mine here," he gestured to another one in the room, "with the green tag, is full or Rusty's things, and the last one there, with the red tag, has things for each of you."

"I still don't know what to say," Sharon shook her head as she looked at her living room full of luggage. "This is just so thoughtful, Andy."

"Sharon, I know it's hard to be here, and I just wanted to bring some of the things I knew you were missing," Andy told her.

She nodded, and then she snapped out of her daze, "Okay, let's deliver the bags to their rightful owners. You can put Rusty's in his room. We can put your bag and my bags in my room. The one that we are sharing, I guess that is fine to go to Rusty's room for now."

It took a couple minutes, but Andy and Sharon deposited the bags in their rightful spots. The two stood in Sharon's room, just looking at each other.

"Well, where to begin?" Sharon said with an almost nervous laugh as she rolled her eyes at Andy.

"Let's go sit in the living room," he suggested. "I'd like to just sit with you. You can also text Rusty to let him know I'm here. I know you haven't done that yet."

"I haven't," she said as her eyes widened. "I can't believe I forgot to tell Rusty."

Andy just chuckled as he put his arm around her, "It's a lot. I know. Even when you were sort of expecting me, it's a lot for me to actually be here." The two walked side by side down the hall to the living room, and Sharon sat, pulling Andy's hand to sit next to her. They got comfortable with Andy putting his arm around Sharon while she settled into his side. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Rusty, "Andy's arrived."

Rusty replied almost immediately, "Cool. Can't wait to see him."

Sharon smiled as she turned her phone toward Andy, "I'm not the only one excited you are here."

He grinned, "He'll be thrilled when he realizes we have two weeks of chess playing ahead of us. I brought the other chess board he loves so much."

"Oh, he'll be thrilled. That portable set?" she asked.

"Mmm hmm," he nodded. "Maybe he can find a friend at school who plays. How is school going for him?"

"Oh," she grinned, "he wants to tour Miami soon. We were going to go last weekend, but things came up for both of us."

"Miami?" he questioned.

"Oh, Miami of Ohio, a small school a few hours away," she clarified.

"That's great news, Sharon," he nodded. "So, are you planning this campus visit while I'm here?"

She looked at him, trying to decide if he was asking to go along, "Would you want to go with us?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed as he smiled. "I'd love to see the campus. It's been quite a long time since I was on a campus tour. If you have free time, and Rusty has free time, we could make a road trip. I'd be happy to go with you."

"I'll see if Rusty can make it happen," she smiled. "We'd looked at another date, but for some reason, they weren't offering campus tours that day. Maybe we can take a road trip."

"I'm in," he squeezed her shoulder as they both sat back and relaxed. "Tell me, any other plans while I'm here?'

"Hmm, well, the church is having a fall type festival this weekend. That was on my list of things to do. I think it will be fun. I need to look at days for work. I'd like to be off as much as possible. I have to work tomorrow because it's just short notice, and I'm already off Friday-Monday, so I'm going to see if I can do something about the middle of this week and some of next. I want to spend every moment with you."

"I'm fine here on my own, too," he told her. "Just point me to your list of things that need to get done, and I'm your guy," he chuckled.

"I'm more interested in what ideas you have for January. I think I can take some time then, and I know I'll be ready for it after a busy holiday season. We thought murders were bad over the holidays. I'm about to experience holiday shoppers," she enunciated the last two words, and Andy started to laugh. He nodded in agreement.

"Hence, why people then maybe kill each other? Rage over holiday shopping?" he suggested.

"I now understand the rage," she added. "So, plans?"

He let out a long breath, "I've put a lot of thought into this. How would you and Rusty feel about a ski trip? I know you love to ski, and you can't exactly show up to your parents' condo in Utah. I looked into things a little, and we could meet in Vermont to ski if you would be interested. I'm happy anywhere with you, and while I'm happy to come back to Ohio, I thought you two might enjoy a trip out of town. I also wanted to check Rusty's schedule and make sure he won't be missing class."

Sharon sat up and turned to Andy so she could look him in the eye. "You would go skiing with us? You aren't a fan of snow."

He shrugged, "I'm a fan of you, and that's all that matters. It will be fun. I can't promise I'll be skiing the whole trip, but I definitely enjoy hot chocolate and a warm fire in ski lodges," he grinned.

"I like the idea," she smiled. "Let's talk to Rusty and hopefully plan the trip. I'll put in for some time off work."

"I can do the same. In fact, I might mask the trip with a visit to New York first to see Emily. I can travel from there," he added.

The two continued to catch up over the next hour, until they heard Rusty's keys in the door.

"Rusty's here," Sharon looked to the door. Andy started to move, and Sharon tapped his hand. "You don't need to move. I would like you to stay right here," she indicated the spot on the couch he currently occupied. Over the last hour, the two had shifted slightly, and he was currently massaging her feet while they talked. He nodded at her and remained in his spot.

"Andy!" Rusty grinned as he came through the door. He hung up his backpack and locked the door before he walked over to greet him. "Good to see you."

"Same here, Rusty," Andy smiled. "I'd get up, but your mother told me to stay right here."

She gestured to her feet, "He's got an important job right now."

Rusty grinned, "Man, I don't know where to start," Rusty shook his head. "I was really glad to hear you'd arrived. I'm going to get something to drink. Anyone want anything?" he asked.

"Ahh, I'll take something," Andy threw a fake smile at Sharon. "Thanks for offering. No one has offered me anything to drink." Sharon sat up and swatted at Andy.

"Oh, stop," she sighed. "You know perfectly well that you aren't just a guest. You can make yourself at home. I'm sorry I didn't ask you about something to drink, but honestly, Andy, I thought by now, we were beyond that."

"What? Beyond being a decent host?" he shrugged as he winked at Rusty. He was messing with Sharon, and he could tell he'd upset her slightly because she probably did feel like she should have offered him something to drink.

"Sharon, that seems like a pretty basic concept, to be a good hostess," he explained and then turned to grin at Andy. Sharon saw the move and swatted at Andy's arm again.

"You two are terrible," she rolled her eyes. "Maybe I won't let Andy know I have cranberry juice waiting for him in the refrigerator."

Andy's eyes sparkled as he turned to her, "A woman after my own heart," he grinned. Rusty groaned as he turned toward the kitchen and stepped away.

"How long do I have to put up with that?" he called out from the kitchen.

"Two whole weeks," Andy yelled back to him. "I hear we might be in the market for a college tour at Miami?"

Rusty popped his head back into the room, "Sharon told you about that? You want to go?"

"Sure," Andy nodded, "that is, if you want me to go."

"Well, yeah," Rusty nodded. "That would be-that sounds good."

"Let's start planning," Sharon smiled as Rusty returned with drinks for the three of them. It was getting late in the evening, but none of the three seemed tired.


	22. Chapter 22

It was much later that night when Andy and Sharon retired to Sharon's bedroom. They had spent over two hours talking to Rusty, and now it was well after midnight. Rusty had just gone to his room, and Andy had followed Sharon down to her room.

"So," Sharon turned and said after they entered the room. She had turned back around to face Andy who was quietly closing her door. He smiled at her softly.

"So," he said, repeating Sharon's comments. He glanced to her, and he could tell she was suddenly nervous because her fingers from one hand were running over the fingers on her other hand. "Sharon, just take your time and get ready for bed. We don't have to talk about this tonight, and certainly, nothing has to happen."

Sharon met his gaze and smiled. He knew her well, and while Andy was definitely someone she wanted, tonight wasn't the night. "Okay," she let out a long sigh she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I just want you to understand-" she started to say, but then she trailed off when he took the couple steps separating them and put his hands on her arms.

"I understand," he nodded. "We've been apart for months. Tonight, I'm just glad to be here with you."

She nodded in agreement, "Plus, Rusty," she nodded toward the hallway, and Andy nodded too.

"Right, not exactly romantic," he winked.

"No," she pursed her lips as she looked to him and green eyes met brown. "I do have a thought about that, though," she smiled. "It's one I didn't want to really discuss in front of Rusty."

"Oh?" he asked, a bigger smile on his face. "What might that be?"

"Well," she said as she ran her hand up his shirt, "it looks like I can adjust my schedule slightly as we were discussing with Rusty. I'm already scheduled for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off. I got a text message back earlier while you and Rusty were playing chess from my boss and can now add on this Thursday. He rearranged things and did the same for me next week, so I have Thursday-Monday off again. That means this week, I'm working tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but then I'm all yours through Monday. I return and worked Tuesday and Wednesday next week, but then I'm off Thursday-Monday again. I know it leaves you here alone several days, but at least I get a few days to spend with you."

"I like it," Andy nodded. "Not to sound selfish, but how does this relate to our bedroom issue?"

Sharon raised her eyebrows, "I didn't know we had a bedroom issue," she teased as she held back a grin. Andy rolled his eyes, and Sharon broke into a smile. "My plan," she started to say and nodded to him, "is to take a little getaway to Cleveland, Wednesday after work, and we can stay there two nights and come home Friday, that is, if you are interested?"

"Oh, very interested," he grinned. "Where do I sign up for this excursion?"

"You will get the VIP treatment," she smiled. "I wanted to take you to Cleveland anyway. It's a lovely city, and Rusty and I really enjoyed ourselves when we went to a baseball game there. I'm sorry we can't see a game this trip, but I'm sure we can find plenty to do."

"I have no doubt," he continued to smile as he ran his hands up and down her shoulders. "Are you okay leaving Rusty here? I know he's grown, but this is an odd situation with you two living here. I understand if you aren't comfortable with it."

She nodded, "Rusty will be fine. He's doing inventory Thursday evening at work, which was already scheduled. He'll be there late, and I know he will call or text when he heads home that night. Wednesday evenings, he's usually out with some friends after class. He has a study group he likes. I won't lie that I'm a little nervous about leaving him with everything going on, but he will be fine."

"Well, then," Andy kissed her quickly, "I can't wait. You, my dear, need to get some sleep. While I'm living the life here tomorrow relaxing, you have to go to work."

"Hmm, something tells me you won't just sit around and watch television all day," she grinned.

He shrugged, "I may. I've also got to make sure you and Rusty stay fed. I've got some cooking to do, and if I'm not mistaken, it looked like there were leaves that needed to be raked and mulched with the lawn mower. I'll keep busy."

"You are too good to us," Sharon leaned up and kissed him quickly. "I'm going to change for bed. Make yourself comfortable," she gestured.

He nodded, "I might go use Rusty's bathroom right now if he's out of it so that we aren't waiting on each other."

Sharon nodded as she put her hand on the bathroom door, "Oh, Andy," she said before she closed it. She held back a grin as he turned to look at her, "One benefit of working at the department store is my employee discount. Since most of my casual clothing was left behind, I had to replace it, and I think you'll like a lot of my new clothes, pajamas too." She shut the door before Andy could say anything.

Andy shook his head and chuckled, knowing anything Sharon had bought would be beautiful on her.

10 minutes later, Sharon emerged. Andy had finished changing and was reading in bed. He'd unpacked his suitcase a little, just enough to hang up a few things. Sharon had also given him a drawer to use, but he didn't want to unpack too much now with a trip to Cleveland in a few days.

"You can't come to bed like that," Andy groaned when Sharon emerged from the bathroom. She had gone into her closet to put things away, and when she came out, she looked to him with surprise.

"Why?" she looked down at her nightgown. It was a knee-length navy satin gown, and she shook her head at Andy.

"Yeah, that's just not going to work, he gestured to her. "Cleveland is how many days away?"

Sharon grinned when she realized what Andy was suggesting. He liked her nightgown, when she was afraid something had been wrong with it.

"Well, you're stuck with it and with me," she shrugged as she walked to the bags he'd brought her. While Sharon had been in the bathroom and Andy had started to unpack his own bag, he'd set hers on the floor and unzipped them for her. "I'm very curious to know what you brought."

"There's so much in there, we'll have to go through it tomorrow," he told her.

She nodded as she took a quick glance, "Oh, Andy," she sighed as she shook her head, "you found my memento box in my nightstand." Sharon stood with the small wooden box that had an engraved design along the base of it. She brought it to the bed and got comfortable next to Andy. He flipped up the covers to look at it with her. "I'm guessing you looked at it?"

He shrugged, "I kind of had to, you know, to know what it was. I didn't realize it was going to be a walk down memory lane." Sharon smiled at him as she leaned in to kiss him. Then, she opened the box and started to pull out the different items.

Sharon pointed to each item as she pulled them out, "Nicole's wedding program," she said, and Andy nodded. "These are tickets from the ballet, well, both sets of tickets from the two years we went. Let's see, I have a few printed pictures in here too. Oh, here's one from a Dodger game we went to see, along with the ticket for that. Oh," she started to chuckle, "remember Rusty's chess competition that was so intense? They made us buy tickets for that too," she covered her mouth as she giggled.

"That was one of the craziest things I've seen. Who knew people were so intense about chess. That was one of the first competitions I saw Rusty play chess," he told her. She nodded.

"Oh, a picture from the dinner Mike had at his house," she smiled. "I miss everyone." She ran her hand over the picture, a picture of the team around the table. Andy had his arm on the back of Sharon's chair, and they were both smiling at the camera, along with the rest of the team. Mike's youngest son had taken the picture, so the whole team was in it. "Well, for picking one item to look at tonight, this was a great one. I'm going to put it in my nightstand here. I don't have much in the drawer." Sharon closed the box and put it away. She and Andy both turned off their lights and got comfortable.

"I brought my journal for you to read," he told her.

"I've got mine for you. It's actually one of the only things in my nightstand. Would you like to read it tomorrow?" she asked.

"I would very much like to read it, to see what you've been doing the past couple months, what you've been thinking. I don't know if you want to take mine with you to work, but you are welcome to do so," he said.

"I'd love that," she leaned over and kissed him quickly as she put her hand on his face. "I've wasted enough time in my life not fighting for what I want, not being happy. You make me very happy, and I'm so glad you are here."


	23. Chapter 23

"Hi, Sweetheart," he smiled brightly as he greeted Sharon. It was Wednesday afternoon, and he was picking her up from work so they could set out on their little getaway. He'd brought her to work earlier, mainly so he could spend a little more time with her, but it also made sense so they had one car to deal with on their adventure. Andy was driving his rental car. He'd told Sharon there was no reason not to put it to use; he had unlimited miles, and it was a little bigger anyway, which he preferred because it gave him a little more room to stretch out as he drove.

"Hi there, Handsome," she grinned as she leaned over the seat to kiss him. "Hmm, I've been looking forward to this all day."

"All day? I've been looking forward to this much longer," he grinned, "but yes, the day did seem to drag." Andy waited until Sharon was situated and had put her seatbelt on, and then he started toward the parking lot exit and eventually toward the interstate.

They made small talk until they were onto the interstate, and then they settled in for their few hours of driving.

"So, I've got the directions to the hotel here," Andy nodded to his phone. "What can I interest you in for dinner? Anything in particular?"

"I'm not picky tonight," she said as she leaned her head back against the seat and relaxed her hands on her lap. "I'm just glad to be with you."

"Same," he agreed. He reached over and took her hand in his. "Rusty has a week supply of food," he chuckled. "Well, it would take the two of us a week to eat it. Knowing Rusty, he'll polish it off before we get back on Saturday. I saw him before I came up here. He stopped in for the afternoon and was studying when I left. He was going to a movie this evening with some friends from school."

"Good," she turned her head to him and smiled. "Thank you for taking care of him, of us. I'm sure he'll enjoy all the food you made. I know I've enjoyed it this week. It's been nice to come home from work and have dinner ready and my chore list tackled. I almost don't know what to do. I don't have leaves to rake or much else. You're spoiling me, Andy Flynn."

"That is the intent. I figure I can't be here all the time, so I'm going to make sure you are all set while I am here. I hate we won't see each other for the holidays," he pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it.

"I'm glad we settled on a place in Vermont in January. I was approved my time off then," she told him.

"I got an email earlier today from Taylor. I, too, was approved time off. I told him I was going to New York to see Emily, which is true. He just doesn't need to know I'll be on a very long weekend to see you too."

"Emily will be thrilled," she smiled. "Thank you again for taking care of her."

He nodded, "Of course, Sharon. I called her earlier and left her a message after I found my time off had been approved. I told her no rush, but she could call me anytime. I'll stay there a couple days, and then I will join you and Rusty."

"Why don't we do this," Sharon suggested as she shifted in her seat. "Why don't Rusty and I fly into New York and meet you when you are leaving? We could just get a rental car and head north. I checked, and it's around six hours up there. That's not too bad, and it would give Rusty another part of the country to explore. Plus, we'll be together," she smiled.

Andy nodded as he listened, "That could work. Let's look at the details this weekend. I don't want to deal with that now. We're on a little vacation, our first one," he grinned.

"Yes," Sharon turned slightly red and then continued, "Andy, I have been doing a lot of thinking. Look, this with Rusty and me, it might not be over anytime soon. I have to face reality that it could be permanent. I love you, but I also don't want to continue to drag you through this. It's just not fair to you, and-" she was cut off by Andy. He didn't like doing that, but he felt what he needed to say was important.

"Sharon, I am not walking away. You couldn't force me to if you wanted. I want to be here, whatever obstacles we face. Sharon, I found you even when the government tried to hide you. I don't care if this goes on for another day, five years, or forever," he sighed and shook his head. "Actually, I do care, but the point is, I'm not going to leave you because it's challenging. I love you too much."

Sharon sighed as she teared up. "Andy, I just don't want to," she stopped and sighed again. "Are we just going to keep doing this?" she gestured. "Are you just going to keep coming to see us a few times a year, hiding it from all our family and friends?"

"Sharon, we don't have another choice. I'm not giving up on you. I know you-something is bothering you, besides this. We've talked about this. What t is it?" he asked.

Sharon closed her eyes and sighed again, "Andy, I want nothing more than you. I guess I'm just, well, maybe nervous is the right word?" she asked. "I want you to know I haven't been with anyone since Jack. I've taken that seriously because to me, it is. It's a major step, a major commitment, and I just want to make sure before we do that we both realize the stakes here. This isn't just a fling for me, Andy. I'm not interested in dating other men, just you, but I don't want to tie you down here. I can't offer much, and I have no way to know what the future holds."

"Sharon," Andy said quietly and sweetly, as he squeezed her hand, "I have waited for years for you. There's not been anyone else in years, no one has even come close. You're it for me too, Sharon. I can promise you that, no matter what. I just want to be with you; I will take what I can get. I know where you are, and we will work this out. Are you sure you're okay? Sharon, I love you. I know this is a big step, and if you're not ready-" he stopped when Sharon squeezed his hand.

"I'm ready," she smiled. "I just needed you to know that, to know you have an out now if you want it. Now, if you have plans to sleep with me and then disappear," she grinned at him, knowing that that was the not true at all.

He just nodded as he kept his eyes on the road, "Well, I've worked to change my reputation, my image," he turned and grinned at her. "I've got a beautiful, classy lady who deserves the world. She makes everything worth it, even this hidden life we have to lead."

"I'm really happy you found us, Andy," Sharon smiled to him. "I know I've said it before, but I am."

"Me too," he kissed her hand again. "Now that we have that out of the way, are you sure you're good with our few days away?"

"I am," she smiled widely. "I certainly am. I am very much looking forward to our trip."

The two continued to talk as they drove. They finally reached their hotel in Cleveland a couple hours later. Neither had been terribly hungry on the drive, and they had opted to check in first and just take a walk down the street and eat what they could find. They ended up at a fish restaurant, where with the middle of the week and the later hour, it wasn't busy. They were seated at a table with a view of the water. They talked through dinner and decided to split the baked cod with a salad. After that, they walked back to their hotel.

"Dinner was lovely. Thank you," Sharon smiled at Andy as they got onto their elevator.

"You're welcome. Thank you for springing for this nice hotel."

Sharon shrugged, "It is the least I can do. You are the one who keeps spending money on plane tickets. I wish you would let me help. You know I would fly to you if I could, and since I can't, you should at least let me pay for your flight in January."

He shook his head as they stood holding hands, their foreheads now touching, "Nope, end of discussion. I'm paying for that ticket. You stole the condo reservation for Vermont, and I know that's a pretty penny. I'm paying for my flight. Besides, I'm building airline points. I'll have enough for a free trip soon."

"Hmm," Sharon hummed. "I am hoping we don't need to use those points. I really want to come home."

Andy nodded as the elevator stopped on their floor, "I can't argue with that, but since I can't take you home, can I take you to bed?" he grinned.

Sharon's face turned a bright shade of red and her eyes grew wide, "Andrew Flynn, you do have a way," she shook her head.

He shrugged, "I'm always going to keep you on your toes," Sharon," he smiled as he took out the room card. "I'm here to spend time with the love of my life in what I think is going to become a new favorite city," he winked.

"And, I thought I was the one with the sense of occasion," Sharon whispered as she put her hands on his chest and leaned up to kiss him quickly as she walked by him into the room. Andy stood there as his mind wandered. Sharon called to him, "Andy," she said. "Would you like to see what all I have bought with my employee discount?"

It was several hours later, just after 1:00AM when Andy's phone rang. The two were finally asleep after their evening together. Sharon was curled up next to Andy with her arm on his chest. The loud sound of the phone woke both.

"What time is it?" Sharon asked as she shifted, looking for her glasses.

"Just after 1:00," he grumbled. "Where is my phone?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Your pants are over there," she pointed toward the door as she found her glasses and turned on the light. "You dropped them there," she bit her lip as she blushed looking at Andy. He gave her a smug grin as he made his way across the room to find his pants and phone.

"Emily," he looked to Sharon, and her eyes grew wide. He nodded to her to be quiet so he could speak to her.

"Emily, is everything okay?" he asked as he answered the phone. Sharon saw a notepad and paper on the nightstand and wrote a quick note. She showed it to Andy, and he nodded. He put the phone on speaker so Sharon could at least hear her daughter. Sharon nodded her thanks and walked back to the bed to sit while Andy continued the call.

"Andy, hi, no everything is fine. I just wanted to return your call. Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry. I'm just on my way home from a performance, and I figured with the time change, it wasn't too late there. You sound like you were sleeping, but I got your message about January and wanted to return your call," Emily said as she rattled on from one topic to another.

"It's fine, Emily," Andy smiled at Sharon. "It's good to hear from you. Really good to hear your voice," he added. Sharon clutched her hands over her heart as she nodded at Andy again. "You're right that I was sleeping. I'm traveling, Chicago," he told her, hating to lie to her, but he knew he couldn't exactly tell her he was in Cleveland currently in bed with her mother.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I didn't know you were traveling. Did you go back to the same place you were before? You said you really got to relax there," she added.

"Yeah, I did," he told her. "I really like it here, just what I need. Don't worry about waking me up. Like I said, it's really good to hear from you. Is January going to be okay to visit?"

"Yes, great!" she said excitedly. "We have a performance the night you come in. Would you like to see it? We'll be wrapping up a sort of holiday show. It runs into early January."

"I'd love to see it," he smiled. "Say, do you ever get recordings of your shows? I could always torture Provenza with that," he grinned and looked to Sharon where he winked.

"Ahh, yes, I do think we can get copies of a performance. You really want one?" she asked.

"I'd love one," he smiled to Sharon and walked back toward her to sit. He sat and gripped her hand. "It would be really nice to have a copy of a performance, any of them. Everything else going okay?" he asked. "Need anything?"

"Things are going fine. I'm just busy with work. Oh, Ricky is going to come here for Thanksgiving. I can't get time off then. I think we are going to try and get together for Christmas. I only have two days off, and he's not sure of his schedule, but we'll do what we can. I sure miss Mom," she sighed.

"I know you do," he added as he squeezed Sharon's hand. Sharon wiped the tears in her eyes and shook her head. She didn't realize the emotional mess she'd become since hearing Emily's voice. "I know your mom misses you too, no question about that."

"You're right," Emily told him. "Andy, I'm guessing you can somehow get information to her. I never asked about her rings, partly because I know nothing can be said. If you have a way, make sure she knows I love her."

"She knows, Em," he sighed. "She knows. Are you home safely yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I am. I'm in my apartment, door is locked, and I'm heading to bed. I'm really sorry I woke you," she told him again.

"Stop apologizing. You never have to apologize for waking me. You are family, and it's always okay," he offered a soft smile to Sharon. "Get some sleep."

"Yes, Sir," she chuckled. "I'll talk to you later. Bye, Andy," Emily told him and hung up. Andy put his phone down and looked to Sharon. She wiped her eyes again and moved to wrap her arms around Andy.

"Thank you for putting her on speaker phone," she said quietly as she tried to hold back more tears. "I miss her so."

"I know you do," Andy whispered as he ran his hands on her back. She had on a new satin nightgown, and Andy continued to run his hands over her back while she processed Emily's call. "Emily is doing well, and obviously she misses you too."

"Thank you for looking out for both of them," Sharon said quietly. "I just wish this would all end."

"Me too," he sighed. "Come on," he pulled back to look in her eyes, "let's go back to bed. We were having a pretty wonderful night before Emily's call upset you." He smiled softy at her, and she nodded to him.

"Her call was a wonderful surprise," Sharon smiled again. "I'm sorry I'm an emotional mess. It's been an evening of wonderful things," she added. "I just couldn't stop crying when I heard Emily's voice."

"I know," he said as he ran his hands up her arms. "Lie down, and I'll hold you," he offered. Sharon smiled and moved closer to Andy. "We've still got a lot of this spectacular night left, along with a few more days here. Let's enjoy every minute of it," he suggested.

Sharon hummed as she got comfortable with Andy. "Just let me get a few hours of sleep, Lieutenant. I'm worn out now, but give me a few hours, and I'll be well rested."

"Good," he whispered in her ear as he kissed her cheek. "I've got plans for us, my dear."


	24. Chapter 24

"Lieutenant, did you leave anything in the bookstore?" Rusty started laughing as the three of them put the bags in the trunk of Andy's rental car and got into the car. Andy made a face at Rusty and turned to find Sharon smiling at him. He grinned at her as he closed the trunk and made his way to her door to help her into the car.

"Haha, funny guy," Andy smirked at Rusty. "Picking a college is an exciting thing. I'm happy for you, and well, it doesn't feel real until you start sporting all the college gear."

"Yeah, a t-shirt was fine, but when do I ever wear a ball cap? Really, I mean, did you have to get that? Don't get me wrong; I'm thankful you and Sharon bought me so much stuff, but you have to admit you were kind of funny," Rusty pointed out.

"Rusty, Andy is excited and happy for you," Sharon turned to him in the backseat as Andy got in on the driver's side. She smiled at Andy again and squeezed his arm as he got situated. "I'm happy for you; we both are. You've picked a college. That's a huge step, and not only did you pick one, you've toured it, applied for admission, and the three of us just finished a wonderful day here. This is a very exciting day, and a few years ago, none of us would have predicted this day."

Andy nodded as Sharon spoke, agreeing with her. He turned to Rusty too, and Rusty replied, "Yeah, well, I never would have put me in a college in the middle of Ohio. That's for sure. When I first met you two," he gestured, "I wouldn't have put you together either. Life is strange," he nodded. Sharon and Andy smiled at Rusty and then turned to each other.

"That it is, Rusty," Sharon nodded. "Now, are we set to go since Andy bought out the bookstore?" she grinned at Rusty.

"Hey!" Andy exclaimed. "I thought you were on my side."

"Oh, I am, Honey," she chuckled. "Rusty is right, though. I think you bought each of us a full Miami ensemble."

"So ungrateful," he grumbled as he teased them. "Now, are we getting some dinner or getting back on the road? We can always stop in an hour or so."

"I'm good to start home," Rusty replied. "I'm not that hungry."

Andy glanced in the rearview mirror and met Rusty's gaze, "You feeling okay? When are you not hungry?"

"Ha, yourself, Lieutenant," Rusty fired back at Andy. "I'm just full from that ice cream."

"Mmm, that was good ice cream," Sharon nodded.

"I still can't believe you didn't get any ice cream, Lieutenant, and I was even more surprised you didn't even make Sharon share," he nodded.

Andy shrugged, "I've just given up ice cream. I don't need the extra weight from it. I've got enough on my own," he chuckled. "It did look good."

"So, no ice cream, no meat, no alcohol of course, and you've cut back on coffee. Sharon's got you drinking tea," Rusty pointed out. "What do you enjoy eating?"

Sharon burst out laughing, as she covered her mouth with her hand. Andy turned and rolled his eyes at her.

"Andy, he does have a point," Sharon continued to laugh.

"Way to pick them, Sharon," Rusty shook his head. "He's got to be like the most boring date ever at a restaurant."

"For your information, funny guy," Andy turned and looked at Rusty and then made a face at Sharon as she continued to laugh, "I enjoy my food just fine. I just enjoy healthier options. Your mom certainly hasn't complained, and usually we share our food just fine at restaurants. I'm happy to leave plenty of Andy-friendly meals when I leave next week," he offered.

"No, that's okay," Rusty grinned. "I'll take the normal food you make for us, the meat stuff. It is cool you like to leave a lot of food. I know I like it, and Sharon gets all sad though when we eat it."

"Only because it's a reminder of how much I miss Andy!" Sharon jumped in. "I love that he cooks food for us before he leaves. I just miss him when his food is here, and he's not."

Andy patted her hand and gave her a soft smile. The two had been enjoying each other very much the past week that Andy had been in town. Their trip to Cleveland had been a lot of fun, and they'd spent a lot of time just being together, not doing much of anything. They were reminded just how much they had missed each other and spent time enjoying basic things like watching a movie together, taking a walk, and just doing some basic shopping. Their nights had been spent together, and they both felt their relationship was progressing nicely. It was going to be hard in another week when Andy had to return to LA. Sharon and Andy knew they would be okay, but they'd taken so many steps forward together the last week, they didn't want to think of their time apart.

"Man, I'm beat," Rusty said as he leaned his head back against the back of the seat. "We could have stayed in a hotel."

"Hmm, we could have done that, yes," Sharon nodded. "However, it's only a couple of hours, and Andy and I decided it was easier to drive home. Let's not forget he's been traveling a lot, and sometimes, it's just nice to be home."

"Yeah, I get it," Rusty told them. "Just wake me if we stop for food or anything." He pulled his hoodie down over part of his face to cover his eyes while Andy continued to drive.

Andy looked to Sharon, and he reached out for her hand. They laced their hands together, and Andy spoke, "I hope it's still okay we are driving home tonight."

"Oh, of course," she smiled at him. "There was no reason to stay here. It's been a long day, yes, but a good day."

Andy nodded in agreement. He and Sharon had talked about Rusty's college visit while they were in Cleveland. Rusty had only one class on Monday because his other had been cancelled already, so while in Cleveland, Andy and Sharon had discussed taking Rusty on his college tour on that Monday. The campus wouldn't be as crowded, and Sharon was still off from work too. They'd briefly discussed staying overnight, with the possibility of driving down Sunday to stay and then tour Monday, but as they talked, they agreed it would be awkward to stay overnight with Rusty right now. Neither wanted to get two rooms; it was expensive, and they didn't want to be apart right now. Staying in one room with Rusty was awkward too because Andy wasn't Rusty's dad. He wasn't even Rusty's stepdad. He was the boyfriend, and while it was awkward to have Andy stay with Sharon at the house, at least it was the house with multiple rooms. Sharon and Andy agreed staying together in a hotel room with Rusty wasn't a good idea. Sure, families did that all the time, but they wanted to respect that Andy, while he wasn't going anywhere, wasn't Rusty's parent, and it would be completely awkward. So, they'd decided on a day trip, and now, as the day was winding down, they were all tired from their visit.

"I liked the school," Andy said to break the silence. He and Sharon were still holding hands, and Rusty, from a quick glance in the rearview mirror, was attempting to sleep. He now had on his headphones, and his eyes were closed.

"I really liked the campus," Sharon nodded. "I liked it more than I thought I would. I almost can't believe he'll be going off to school in less than a year. It makes all this even harder."

"You aren't going to be alone," Andy ran his hand over her knuckle. "I'll be visiting. Rusty will be home often. Besides, all this talk could be for nothing. I bet they get Stroh by then, and you'll be back home."

Sharon nodded silently as she looked out the window. She turned and noted Rusty was not paying attention to their conversation, "What if that doesn't happen, Andy? What if we are still here? What if Rusty goes to school, and I stay in our made-up lives? You can't live here all the time. We talked about that, and you need to stay the connection to the kids."

"I know," he nodded. "I'm going to visit more, even if I have to retire to do it, Sharon. I don't like leaving you so much. I love you."

Sharon squeezed Andy's hand, "I know. I love you too. Let's talk about something else, please."

"Okay," he nodded, knowing that discussion always upset Sharon. "What's going on with this festival at church this weekend? You mentioned it, and I know you are planning to go."

"I would like to go. I've helped with a lot of the planning, and I'd really like it if you would go with me. You met some of my friends, and I'd like for you to spend some time with them."

"I'd love to spend more time with your friends. I'm glad you've made some good friends here. I know it's hard, especially when I'm away, and Rusty is busy with school," he told her.

"It is, but at least I have found a good church. So, yes, the festival is on Saturday. I'm betting that my friends will try and talk us into going out to dinner with them," she explained.

"Sign me up," he grinned. "Dinner with you is never an issue."

The drive continued, as Sharon and chatted about normal, everyday things. Rusty didn't sleep much, and he joined in the conversation. They stopped for a quick bite to eat on the way home, but truthfully, everyone was tired. They were all glad when they finally arrived back at the house. Andy and Rusty unpacked all the college gear that had been purchased, and the three set off for bed.

Andy had changed and was sitting in bed checking his phone while Sharon was putting things away. Andy's phone alerted him to a text, and Sharon glanced at him.

"One of the kids?" she asked. Andy had been very careful not to do much texting while he'd been with Sharon. It was really for everyone's safety. Yes, he would answer texts if he got them, as he would answer his phone, but he'd kept all conversations to a minimum, mainly wanting people to believe he just wanted some alone time.

Andy started to laugh as he read the text and he shook his head at Sharon to answer her question, "No, Provenza," he continued to chuckle. "Man, he really likes Patrice. His texts told me to get home so I can help him shop for a ring."

"A ring?" Sharon stood up from where she had been leaning over getting things out of her dresser drawers. She turned to Andy, evidently surprised. "He's going to propose?"

"Apparently," Andy shook his head as he continued to type a response. "I knew he would get to this point after he had her move in with him. No doubt, she'll be the best wife he's ever had. Patrice is a really classy lady; you'd really like her, Sharon. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to get to know her better before you moved."

Sharon nodded as she put away more of her things, "So, Lieutenant Provenza is going to get married again."

"Well, yeah," Andy shrugged, "if she says yes. Knowing Patrice and Provenza, that's a big if."

Sharon chuckled. She walked over and sat on the bed next to Andy, "It's hard to hear of life moving on at home without me there. I really miss it. I miss everything, everyone. I know we are safe, but it's really hard to be here. Take this," she gestured to Andy's phone and continued, "getting married. I'd love to see it," she smiled brightly. "Who wouldn't, right? Provenza as a groom is something to see."

"I know," Andy opened his arms for Sharon, and she moved to sit next to him. He kissed the top of her head, "It's hard to go through the motions without you. I go home at night and want to curl up with you. During the day, I just want to walk into your office and talk to you. I get it. I realize I'm the one at home, surrounded by our families and our friends, but it's hard too."

"Well, then just to think of the future, or that this might be all the future I have. Andy, I just," she sighed. "There are days I just want to throw in the towel and catch the first flight home. I won't do that, though. Rusty needs to stay safe, and I won't leave him, even though I realize to some, I look selfish or unconcerned about the rest of my family, leaving them."

"Sharon, you are doing the best you can. I'm so proud of you. You've made a life here even with everything going on. Look on the bright side," he pulled back to grin at her and continued, "Jack isn't showing up at your door."

Sharon nodded as she chuckled and settled back into Andy's side. "Still, the day will come when Emily gets married, or even Ricky finds someone to marry," she said as she laughed. "I don't want to miss that. I don't want to miss grandkids. I don't want to live this life without you, but it might come to that. I might be stuck here for the rest of my life, alone."

Andy pulled back again to look Sharon in the eye, "Don't answer me now, but maybe we should think about getting married someday. Before you throw out every argument I know you are creating in that beautiful head of yours, we love each other, and we both know that we want to be together. Sure, it doesn't help our living situation, but we'd know we are bound to each other forever. Just think about it, Sharon."


	25. Chapter 25

Sharon couldn't help but stare. She'd been doing a lot of that, but in her defense, he was leaving soon. Two weeks had gone by quickly, too quickly, and she hated that they would have to wait over two months to see each other again. Life didn't seem fair sometimes, but as a police captain, she had seen that in her job almost on a daily basis. Here, it was happening to her, life seeming to not be fair, but she knew there was no promise that life would be fair for anyone. She'd had her share of disappointments in life, Jack to be a big one, but she hated that finally when she was happy and had defined things with Andy, things weren't fair.

As Sharon continued to stare at Andy, she couldn't help but smile. Their two weeks together had been so nice. She'd even had to work several days, but that hadn't caused any problems. If anything, it gave Sharon the extra spring in her step to get through the day at work. Andy had met her for lunch one of the days she was working, her idea, and he'd gladly accepted. Things with them were good; they, together a couple, were good, but the situation was about to get frustrating again. Andy had to leave after the weekend, and Sharon couldn't stand to think about it. When he was here, the world seemed t stop, and it was easy to forget the situation in which she and Rusty were living. She could enjoy Andy a few more days. So, she turned her attention back to the table where she and Andy had been sitting with her friends, well, she was hoping he was starting to think of them as their friends. They were at the festival at the church. It was now Saturday late afternoon, and she and Andy had been there for a couple hours now. They were having a good time. It felt nice to be around others, around couples, as a couple. She reached up and squeezed Andy's hand, which was draped across the back of her chair.

"Are you having a nice time?" Sharon checked with him as she gave him a soft smile.

"The best," he leaned in closer to her and whispered softly. "Your friends are really good people. I'm glad we've had some time to sit and talk to them." They had been talking with Sharon's friends for the last half hour. The group had taken a small break to refresh their plates and refill their drinks. Sharon leaned in closer to Andy, and he squeezed her shoulder when she did.

"Would you like more apple cider?" Andy asked as he glanced into her mostly empty cup. She paused a moment and nodded.

"Actually, that does sound good. Thank you," she nodded to him as he stood to refill their drinks. Sharon watched him walk across the room and didn't realize her friend, Kathy, had been trying to get her attention.

"Earth to Sandra," Sharon heard and turned toward her friend who had just arrived back at the table. Sharon had a bright smile on her face and still had eyes on Andy across the room.

"I'm sorry," Sharon said. "I didn't hear what you said."

"Hmm, I'm well aware of that. You had eyes on a very handsome gentleman the church is buzzing about as we speak," Kathy grinned. Sharon felt the blush creeping up her neck and turned away quickly, noting Andy was now talking to Mike and Eric across the room. They were all laughing, and she continued to smile as she turned her attention back to Kathy.

"Andy?" she asked. "The church is talking about Andy?"

"Do you see any other handsome strangers here? I might be happily married, but I'm not blind, to both a good looking gentleman and a smitten friend."

"Ahh, well, I would have no comment on that," Sharon shrugged. "I also have not heard anyone talking about Andy here. That seems to be your imagination."

Kathy chuckled, "Deny it all you want. We are all talking, that's for sure. A visit here a few months ago was one thing. We all were curious, and then, we didn't hear much about your friend, Andy, for quite some time. We noticed how comfortable the two of you were with each other, the casual looks, even the holding hands when we ran into you at the track, but after he left, nothing. I was worried you'd let him down. Then, low and behold, today, he appears with you. You haven't looked this happy since, well, probably his last visit. You told us then you were friends, but watching you two today, you seem much more involved than that. So, tell me, what's going on?"

Sharon smiled, "It's been complicated, very complicated." She sighed as she shook her head, "Andy lives almost two thousand miles away, while Chris and I live here. Neither situation can change due to work and a multitude of other things. We are doing our best. I can say we enjoy being together rather than apart, but we are dealing with the cards we have been dealt."

Kathy held back a bigger smile, "Well, that's a start. Tell me where this friend of yours is staying while he's visiting? I know you have a two-bedroom home. I can't imagine Chris has been moved to the couch for the two weeks Andy has been here, which by the way, a guy doesn't just visit for two weeks without being more than a friend."

Sharon's smile grew as she felt the blush creep up her neck again, "Andy is more than a friend, yes," she nodded. "As for my guest's lodging arrangements, we are currently in a church, and I will not go into specifics here." As much as Sharon tried to hold back her smile, she couldn't, and her eyes sparkled too.

"Yes, just the confirmation I needed. Wow, you are in deeper than Becky or I even suspected, but good for you, Sandra. We both feel you need some happiness in your life, and our little chat here confirms why you haven't shown interest in the many single men from church who have tried to hit on you."

"Men here have tried to hit on me?" Sharon asked, now horrified, as she sat up and looked around the church expecting to find the men standing behind her.

Kathy reached out and patted Sharon's hand as she started to laugh, "Oh, there have been many, none today, Sandra, but yes, you have been the topic of many conversations here at the church. When you brought Andy around before, we all wondered about him, wondered if we would see more of him or hear you talk about him. That didn't happen, so people started talking again, debating on which eligible bachelor might interest you. I dare to say that now I should make it known you are officially off the market?" She asked.

Sharon let out a nervous laugh, as she glanced around again. She met Andy's gaze and felt the blush creeping up her neck as he smiled at her. She smiled back and turned her attention back to Kathy.

"Yes," she smiled warmly and continued, "Andy and I are together. As I said, it's complicated, and our lives keep us apart more than we would like, but we are doing everything we can together. I love him."

"Oh, Sandra," Kathy sighed as she saw the tears in Sharon's eyes. "I feel like you are making this harder than it needs to be. Does he not love you? I can't imagine that, not from a man who flies to the middle of nowhere Ohio to visit you."

Sharon let out a half laugh, half cry as she nodded, "Oh, he loves me very much. That's not it. As I said, it's just complicated. His work, my work, Chris, his kids, all of it is a mess. We can't untangle it right now. I miss him deeply when he's gone."

"You should tell him that, then," Kathy encouraged.

"He knows," Sharon smiled softly. "We've talked and talked. He even wants to marry me."

"Marry you!" Kathy exclaimed as her eyes immediately went to Sharon's ring finger. "Did he propose?"

Sharon shook her head, "No, it's also complicated. We just discussed the idea of it. We've both had rotten marriages in the past, but I just don't think marriage is, well," she sighed. "I am worried that our complicated lives will ruin a marriage. We can't live together for reasons right now, but the stress of living apart would ruin a marriage too. I don't want that. I mean, I would love to be married to him, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the wonderful relationship we have with the strain of a cross-country marriage. The consequences are too great."

Kathy listened, "I think if you want it to work, it could. I'm really shocked, Sandra. Here, I wasn't sure you'd admit to anything, but it sounds like you two are much closer than I thought."

"We have known each other for years, as I told you. Sometimes friendships turn into something more," she shrugged. "Ours has grown over the years, to a very deep love and respect for each other. A lot of my hesitation is due to our current complicated situation, but I believe on some level, I'm worried we'll fail at this. We've both been married before, and both marriages failed. I love him so much, but I'm worried I'll ruin it."

Sharon's mind drifted momentarily back to the conversation she and Andy had in her bedroom after they'd gotten back from their trip with Rusty. They'd talked it through, the idea of marriage, and while nothing had been decided on the topic, Sharon was worried she'd ruin it. She was worried she would tie down Andy, to a life that he didn't deserve. She couldn't ask Andy to continue living this lie, even if now, he was certain he would. Sharon just wanted Andy to have options, mainly the option to walk away in the future. She knew she couldn't promise him a future, not with Stroh lingering, and she didn't think it was fair to ask Andy to wait for her.

"I still think it could work. I'm sure you've both learned from earlier marriages, and I'm telling you that if he's willing to travel across the country to see you, while you have blinders on for every man in town, you two are certainly made for each other. And, you're not worried about him out there in California all on his own? You trust him completely?" Kathy asked.

"With my life," Sharon said firmly and quickly. "I trust him with my life, so yes, I have no concerns about Andy. I just don't want to ruin what we already have."


	26. Chapter 26

Andy glanced at his watch as he pulled up to the hospital. He hadn't been back in LA 12 hours yet, and he was already getting called to a crime scene. He'd left Sharon right after Halloween, something that had been extremely hard for both of them. They'd clung to each other before Andy had to drive away. He'd left her with part of his heart, and he wasn't sure how he would make it through the next couple months without her. Halloween was nice; it would only have been better if he and Sharon had been in LA to tak the grandkids trick or treating. Nicole had sent him pictures of the boys, both dressed as pirates. Sharon had laughed and cried over the pictures, commenting how big the boys were getting. She'd printed the picture, and it now sat on her dresser along with many others she and Andy had taken together. They were making new memories, but still memories that they couldn't share with friends and family back in LA. He'd left Sharon was a promise to return, a kiss that he knew wouldn't make up for the distance, but he hoped she'd know conveyed his love. They'd tabled the discussion of a future. Andy knew Sharon was worried about him, about not wanting to tie him to her, but what Andy had tried to tell Sharon was that there was no future for him without Sharon in it. So, he'd let the discussion linger, knowing they would talk more on his next visit in January. He wasn't sure when he'd be back to Ohio, as in January, he, Sharon, and Rusty were meeting in Vermont to go skiing. It wasn't perfect, but it was a plan. It just seemed so far into the future.

Here it was, now November 2, the early hours of the morning, and Andy was back at work. Provenza had called him an hour ago, and now here he was, at the hospital, where he had heard they had several victims already dead. He sighed as he looked to his watch, where it wasn't even 5:00 AM yet. He thought of Sharon, how in Ohio, she would be getting ready to leave for work. How he wished he was still there, able to talk to her. That issue had been addressed, the lack of communication. Andy had bought two burner phones in Cleveland while they were there, and he and Sharon had agreed to use them sparingly. As much as the two wanted to talk each day, they had agreed to behave, to try and respect the fact that Sharon and Rusty were in danger and use the phones within reason. Andy had fought the urge to call Sharon after he'd landed, but instead, he'd tucked his burner phone away in his gun lock box, away from any sort of prying eyes.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant," he heard and nodded to Amy as he entered the room. He shook his head at the number of bodies, and just as he was about to say something, Provenza walked into the room.

"Ahh, Flynn, good, you're back," he nodded to him.

"That's a first," Andy said. "I don't think you've ever told me you are glad I'm back."

"I didn't say that. I just need another set of eyes on this case. It's an odd one, I can tell. I've just gone over the surveillance with Buzz," he explained. "With Davis at a conference, Taylor is watching this case. We've got to report to him, but I'm hoping he'll give us some breathing room to solve this on our own."

"Andy, welcome back," Mike patted Andy on the back as he moved into the room. "Vacation agrees with you. You're looking good, better than these guys," he nodded to the corpses.

"Gee, thanks, Mike," Andy rolled his eyes.

"I'm only teasing," Mike smiled. "You do look well rested."

"And, happy, Lieutenant," Julio grinned. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd found someone who makes you happy," he said and continued, "but, I know the captain can't be replaced."

The room was silent a few moments as Julio's statement hung in the air. Andy looked to the ground and nodded, not wanting to give away that yes, he did have a certain captain in his romantic life. Mike broke the silence.

"I think it's the new tie. Haven't seen that one. Is that a new suit too? Leave it to Andy to shop on vacation," he smiled.

Andy glanced up and touched his tie. He thought back to Sharon running her hands over it as she'd given it to him before he'd gone back to LA. Her job had perks, and one of them was being able to dress Andy in a few new suits with her generous employee discount. She'd picked out the suit and tie he was wearing. Of course, he'd wanted to wear it on his first day back to work. It helped him keep Sharon close. He looked up from where he had his hand on his tie, "Yeah, I may have bought a few new suits and ties while I was away," he shrugged. "I guess they call that, what, retail therapy?" he grinned.

"Oh, you're sounding more and more like a woman each day, Flynn! Shopping for new suits on your vacation," he grumbled.

"Can we just get to the case?" Andy gestured. "Obviously, we have some work to do. I come back, and what do we have, but several dead bodies," he sighed. "Let's get to work and pray this day doesn't get any worse."

As the day continued, Andy's comments about the day getting worse ran though his head over and over. He couldn't shake them, maybe because on cases like this, he really wished Sharon was here to help solve the case. The day went from bad to worse when the team went in search of a suspect at the airport.

"Flynn!" Andy heard as he was sprawled on the ground. He had a splitting headache and tried to remember what had just happened. "Ugh," he sighed, as he felt Provenza picking him up off the ground. "Don't tell Sharon," he grumbled.

"Don't tell Sharon what?" Provenza asked. "Flynn, are you okay? Sharon's not here. Do you know where you are, what year it is?" Provenza started to panic as he tried to assess Andy. Andy didn't stay standing for long. He dropped to his knees in pain.

"Ugh, my side," he complained. "Sharon," he sighed again.

"Well, I'm certainly not HER!" Provenza exclaimed. "Flynn, are you okay? Do you know where you are?"

"I was thrown from a moving car!" Andy yelled. "I'm in awful pain. What happened? Did we get that lady, Molly right?'

"Sykes and Mike stopped her. They are arresting her now," Provenza looked around to the team and noted that Mike was holding up the walkie talkie and nodding to him. "Look, Mike is telling me he's called for an ambulance. Just sit tight. Are you hurting anywhere else?"

"My head," Andy grumbled. "My side," he winced. "I'm in a lot of pain."

"We all know you have a hard head, Flynn," Provenza told him. "I hear the sirens now."

It took another half hour, but Andy was sent to the hospital while the rest of the team went back to work. Taylor was alerted to Andy's situation, and the team focused on solving the case.

"Just got off the phone with the hospital," Provenza nodded to the group. "Flynn is going to be okay, just a couple cracked ribs. Lucky for all of us, I'm his medical proxy, so there's your medical update."

"Is he coming back to work?" Amy asked. "Shouldn't one of us take him home?"

"Flynn is better coming here," Provenza nodded. "If he goes home, he'll be alone. Here, we can keep an eye on him. Not even home a day, and he goes and does something so stupid. Jumping onto a moving car," he sighed as he shook his head.

"Do we need to call his daughter or anything?" Amy asked. "I feel like we should let someone know."

"Well, the one person HE would want to tell doesn't work here anymore. No, if the doctor said he'll be okay, he can call Nicole himself. We have an agreement not to call family or ex-family," he clarified, "unless one of us is dying."

The team started to chuckle, but they stopped as Andy entered the room.

"Lieutenant!" Amy exclaimed. Andy just nodded to the group as he clutched his rib.

"Guys," he sighed. "What a day it has been."

"Flynn, office now," he heard and looked up to find Taylor walking down the hall. Taylor pointed to Sharon's old office and nodded for Provenza to join them.

"I'm fine, Taylor," Andy sighed as he closed the door and entered the office. Provenza walked in from the other door and shook his head at Andy.

"Sit down, Flynn," Taylor nodded to the chair. Andy sighed as he sat and looked to Sharon's empty desk. The office had been empty so long now, dust had collected on everything. He sat in the chair, wincing as he sat.

"Flynn, were you cleared to come back to work?" Taylor asked.

"I wasn't told I couldn't," he grumbled as he winced again. "I can't take the opiates, so the meds aren't helping."

"Solve this and get him home," Taylor told Provenza. "Flynn, take at least tomorrow to get back on your feet. You'll need to stay on desk duty at least the rest of the week. I know those ribs will take quite awhile to heal, and I don't need you trying to run down any suspects. We'll see how you are doing at the end of the week, understood?"

"Understood," Andy grumbled.

"Stay here, Flynn. I'll take you home soon if we can't wrap this up tonight. We might have to come in first thing in the morning with fresh eyes on the case."

"I can get home myself, Provenza," Andy waved him off.

"Stay here. That's an order, Flynn," Provenza pointed to him. Andy just nodded and closed his eyes as he tried to fight the pain. He heard Provenza and Taylor leave the room and sighed as he tried to relax. What he really wanted to do was to pick up the phone and hear Sharon's voice. It was now late into the evening in LA, which meant it was even later in Ohio. Knowing Sharon, she was home from work and had eaten dinner and walked at the track. The two had spent a great deal of time doing that when he'd been in Ohio with her. The exercise was good, the company even better. The two found themselves walking between three and four miles each evening, as the conversation flowed so easily, they lost track of the time. He hoped Sharon had time to walk this evening and wished beyond anything, that he had been able to walk with Sharon instead of sitting in her now abandoned office with cracked ribs. Andy decided that he needed to get back on his feet, that he needed to get back to work, but as he stood, he suddenly got dizzy again. He felt himself start to fall, but somewhere in the daze, felt someone hold him up. He knew he had to have passed out because he found himself in the back of an ambulance for the second time that day.

"Buzz?" he looked over and saw Buzz riding with him.

"Hold still, Lieutenant," he nodded and the paramedic nodded along with him.

"What happened?" he grimaced in pain as he tried to shift.

"You started to collapse. Lieutenant Provenza caught you, and you were in and out as we got the paramedics upstairs. I volunteered to ride with you because the rest of the team was arresting the chauffeur's son."

"Wait, what?" he asked, slightly confused.

"I'll explain later, but I've got orders not to leave you alone until Lieutenant Provenza arrives. Lieutenant, I think you actually scared the old guy," Buzz offered a small smile.

Andy tried to laugh, but he clutched his side as he did so. He closed his eyes, but he was nudged awake by Buzz.

"They are worried you have a concussion," he told Andy. "Try to stay awake, Lieutenant."

A couple hours later, Andy's concussion was confirmed this time, even though earlier in the day, the doctor had said he didn't think Andy had a concussion. The movement of the curtain had both Andy and Buzz glance toward the opening.

"You're still alive," Provenza nodded to him. "Buzz, we won't have to fire you."

Buzz looked to Provenza, horrified, as he glanced between the men. "Lieutenant Provenza, the lieutenant here is doing better. He's got a concussion, but he's going to be fine."

"I'm not dead, Buzz!" Andy exclaimed as he glanced to Provenza. "What, no balloons this time?"

"Gift shop was out," Provenza smirked. "Besides, I've got to haul you home with me, no time to deal with balloons. You get personalized care at Casa Provenza tonight. Don't tell that to anyone, Buzz," Provenza pointed to him. "You can go now. Thanks for keeping him alive."

Buzz turned to Andy, "Lieutenant, is there anything I can get for you?"

"No, Buzz," Andy nodded. "Thank you for keeping me company. If Provenza kills me overnight, make sure he's arrested for it."

"I will, Lieutenant," Buzz patted his shoulder. "I'll see you in a couple days. Get some rest."

Both Andy and Provenza waited for Buzz to leave, and then Andy turned to Provenza, "I guess I owe you thanks for not letting me pass out at the office."

"You would have done the same," Provenza shrugged, shying away from the discussion.

"I'm perfectly fine to go home, you know," Andy pointed out to Provenza.

"Oh no, you're not," Provenza pointed his finger at Andy. "Doctor said you need care and supervision. As much as it pains me, you can stay at my place. I already made the long drive to your place for clothing and your unmentionables," he shuddered. "Actually, that was quite easy. Your suitcase was still halfway packed, so I just grabbed it. I hope you have something in there you can wear."

"You grabbed my suitcase?" Andy asked, his eyes now shocked at the statement. He quickly thought back to the airport and sat back against the bed, in relief, as he remembered he had taken the baggage tag off his luggage and thrown it away at the airport.

"Well, it was better than going through your drawers to find clothing. You'll be at my place a couple days. I'm sure you can survive, although that new suit and tie of yours, well, they don't seem to have met the same fate."

Andy glanced down at his rumpled and torn suit. His jacket and tie were at the end of the bed, his pants and shirt, on top of that, all torn and stained. "I really liked that suit."

"Yeah, well, I like going to Patrice's place at night, but today, neither of us get our way. You're stuck with me," he stated. "You're officially on medical leave at least until the end of the week. If you can refrain from passing out, Taylor said you can come back to work next week. Way to get a few more vacation days, Flynn," Provenza nodded.

"Vacation days!" Andy exclaimed and winced as he strained and grabbed his ribs. He hurt all over, and as much as he didn't want to tell Provenza that, the pain was etched on his face.

"The doctor said he'd be in soon to discharge you again," Provenza told him. "Until then, just sit there. Your extra vacation days start tomorrow."

"It's not a vacation, Provenza! Believe me, if I had a vacation, I wouldn't spend it at your place. I'd take off again," he grumbled.

"Yes, and we need to discuss that, your trip, as well as a comment from today. What was that all about at the airport today, when you were run over, the comment about not telling Sharon? Do you remember saying that?"

"Yeah, I remember!" Andy snapped at him. "It just slipped out."

"Seems to me that she must be on your mind," Provenza pointed out.

"Of course, she is!" Andy exclaimed. "I think of her all the time."

"Hmm, well, tell me something I didn't know, Flynn. I know that, but why would you tell me not to tell her. Flynn, I don't know where she is, but I'm beginning to wonder if you do?"


	27. Chapter 27

It had been four days, four days with Provenza, and Andy was ready to go home. He would have already gone home, that is, if Provenza would have let him, but no, he'd made sure Andy had stayed at his house, under the watchful care of Patrice for the first two days, and now that it was nearing the end of the week, and Andy was back at work, he was finding Provenza more and more irritating. It had been bad enough that he'd been around him in the evenings, but now, back at work, Andy was really getting tired of being around Provenza 24 hours of the day. He'd argued with him over breakfast, the idea that Andy was going to go to the doctor alone without Provenza.

"Provenza, it's been four days. I'm fine, really," Andy told him. "Doctor said I could go back to work and only needed to call him if I was feeling strangely. You don't need to go to the doctor with me, and I certainly don't need to have Patrice come to keep me company. My car is still at work, so I'll drive to my appointment later this morning and then back to work this afternoon."

Truthfully, while he was getting more and more irritated with Provenza, Andy also wanted to get home so he could call Sharon. Yes, they had agreed to keep radio silence for the most part, but he knew this would fall under the category of 'need to know information,' the fact that he'd been injured while at work. He hadn't wanted to scare her at first, so he'd decided he would call her when he was back at work and could report just that. Andy had avoided Provenza's question about Sharon from the hospital, or rather, an interrupting nurse had helped with the change of topic, but Andy had waved off Provenza later when he'd asked again.

 _"So, that business about not telling the captain," Provenza asked once they were in the car on the drive home._

 _"Leave it, Provenza," Andy muttered. "I was dazed when I got up. You know how it is. You want me to bring up that the team told me you ran? You were so concerned about me you ran to find out if I was okay?" he flashed a slight grin at Provenza. Andy was in a lot of pain, but he definitely wanted to point that out and hopefully get Provenza off the topic of Sharon._

 _"Oh, you know that when an officer goes down, I spring into action," Provenza started to explain. "Stop trying to dodge my question."_

 _"I'm not dodging anything. There's nothing to say. I'm not sure I can remember the last time you ran, though," Andy tried to laugh, but his side hurt too much._

 _"Oh, just leave it, Flynn. Sometimes things just happen out in the field," he muttered._

 _"Exactly what I was saying," Andy nodded. "Let's just drop it."_

So, they had. Andy knew better, though. He knew his friend, and he knew Provenza was a good detective. He also knew that while the topic had been dropped in the moment, Provenza would certainly bring it up again. The guy was a bloodhound, which is what made him a good detective. Andy was too, but with the current situation and the love of his life in hiding thousands of miles away, Andy had a momentary lapse in judgement when he mentioned the 'don't tell Sharon" part of his dust up with the car. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of keeping something from Provenza, not when as much as the guy irritated him, because he was a good friend, but Sharon and Rusty's safety was too important. Just like with the kids, Andy knew Provenza would not jeopardize the safety of Sharon or Rusty, but still, it was just another person who didn't need to know. Andy felt people were on a need to know basis about Sharon, and for now, at least, Provenza didn't need to know.

A few hours later, Andy realized that Provenza might need to be on more of a need to know basis than he'd originally thought. His doctor's visit had not gone well, and he was on his way back to work to lay everything on the table for Provenza.

"Flynn, what time can I expect your bags out of my house?" Provenza asked Andy when he saw him in the hallway as he got off the elevator.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Andy asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Why? What's the matter?" Provenza asked as Andy gestured toward the break room. Provenza nodded and followed. Andy waited until both men were in the room alone and the door was closed. Andy started to pace, while Provenza stood near the door with his arms crossed.

"So, I, um, ah, well, the doc said that I've got a blood clot," he explained. Andy turned to face Provenza and stopped pacing.

"A blood clot?" Provenza asked. "Well, that's not good."

"No," Andy sighed as he shook his head. "It's not good at all. In fact, it's serious, very serious. It's in my carotid artery."

Provenza's eyes opened wider as he listened to Andy, "Geez, Flynn, I always knew you were a pain in the neck, but I didn't expect you to take that literally! Flynn, that can be serious!"

"Yeah, I'm aware it's can be serious. It IS serious, Provenza!" Andy exclaimed.

"Now, just calm down," Provenza raised his hands in attempt to calm Andy. Stress and yelling can't be good. What did the doctor say? What's the plan?"

"Well, I can't work. I have a detailed list of what I can't do, even to include sitting down and crossing my legs. I can't even tie a shoe," Andy sighed. "The doc, she is hopeful I can deal with this with the meds, but if I can't, it will require surgery."

"Surgery!" Provenza said loudly. "Flynn, is this all from the accident?"

"Yeah, it's all a result of my dust up with the car. Look, I'm hopeful the meds will do their job, but until we know for sure, I can't be alone. I'd ask to stay with Nicole, but she's going out of town on business, and truthfully, as much as I love my grandsons, being around them won't reduce my stress level. Listen, I know it's not ideal, but do you mind if I stay at your place? Believe me, I was planning to go home today. This is not what I want, and I'm not sure staying with you will reduce my stress level either, but I don't really have another option."

"Of course, you're staying, idiot," Provenza muttered. "What, you think I'd just send you packing? I'll give Patrice a call. She can keep an eye on you when I'm at work. Best place for you, with a nurse," he nodded. "When do you need to go back to the doctor?"

"Ahh, a few days," Andy explained. "Doc wants me to try these meds for a week, and we'll see how things are going. Listen, I'm going to need some things from my place."

Provenza waved him off, "Just focus on your health, Flynn. Whatever clothes you have, Patrice can wash for you. You made it this far. I'm sure that clot will break up in a few days, and you'll be as good as new."

"Provenza, I'd like to go by the house," Andy started to say again.

"Stop worrying, Flynn. I'll take you home in a couple days, but you're sick. You need to rest and not have that clot do something stupid. You do enough of that on your own," he said. "Look, my place is fine. We have food, tv, and Patrice to keep an eye on you. Your house can wait, at least until I have a day off."

"Provenza," Andy sighed as he shook his head. He really wanted to go by the house to get his burner phone out of his gun lock box, not that he could divulge that to Provenza at the moment. If the dust up with the car had been a gray area, as far as a phone call to Sharon, Andy knew a serious blood clot that could potentially kill him was on the list of things that he should definitely call Sharon to tell her. He'd thought about using Provenza's phone, but as with work, Provenza was a bloodhound with his phone bill, going over it each month. Andy had seen him do that at the office, checking each phone number and insisting that the phone company was somehow charging him for long distance calls when he was supposed to be on an unlimited plan. Andy knew he couldn't call Sharon from Provenza's house; he needed to get his burner phone, but right now, he couldn't tell Provenza that. Instead, he just shook his head. "Fine. I guess I need a ride. I'm not supposed to be driving."

"Did you drive back to work?" Provenza glared at him.

"Well, yeah," Andy shrugged. "Look, I realize this is serious, but I did need to get back here. I'm acknowledging that I need a ride, that I need some help right now. So, here I am, being vulnerable. I need help."

"That's been obvious for years," Provenza threw his arms into the air. "Now, there's only so much help I can give, Flynn. For now, we'll focus on this clot. We need you to get rid of this clot, and then, and only then, can we start working on your countless flaws. Those issues will take a lot longer than a silly clot to clear. I'll see if Patrice can swing by and pick you up. Otherwise, I'm sending you with Buzz. If Patrice isn't available, Buzz can take you in his little car."

"Thanks, Provenza," Andy shook his head as he tried to laugh. He knew Provenza was trying to break the ice, trying to ease the tension. Provenza's concern told Andy that both men were aware of just how serious the matter was. Now, he just needed a way to tell Sharon.


	28. Chapter 28

He woke up to a splitting headache and a beeping sound. Andy knew something had happened. He cracked open an eye and groaned when he saw Provenza relaxing on a hospital bed, crossword in hand.

"Flynn," Provenza said and moved quickly, even for Provenza, to the side of the bed.

"What happened? I won't ask where I am; I'm guessing I'm in the hospital," he groaned.

"Of course, you're in the hospital!" Provenza said, rather irritated. "My bathroom floor now had a permanent indention from your skull hitting it. Do you remember that?"

Andy closed his eyes; the light was making his headache even worse. He groaned as he tried to remember what had happened. "I was getting ready for a doctor's appointment, right? Patrice was home. You'd gone to work. I've been staying at your house only a few days. If my appointment went well, you promised to take me over to my house tonight so I could get more of my things."

"That's right," Provenza nodded. "We've been covered in cases. It hasn't helped that we've had Jack hanging around the building. Wish you could have seen his face when we messed up a case for him," Provenza chuckled slightly. "Guy has been a thorn in our side for almost a week. Oh, he knows about you, though, and he wasn't throwing get well type of wishes your way. Your phone has been blowing up since, your kids and the captain's kids have been calling. I've updated them and will continue to do so as long as you're stuck in this place. I also took the liberty to fill out your DNR paperwork, and well, you're stuck with me even if you turn into a vegetable."

"Ugh," Andy sighed. "A vegetable? I'm not dying, am I? So, what happened? What is going on with me?" he grimaced as he reached up to his head. He felt a bandage there and sighed again as he closed his eyes and tried to turn his head.

"You collapsed on the bathroom floor. Apparently, you were brushing your teeth, and Patrice heard you collapse. Lucky for you, she's a nurse, so she was able to keep you alive until the paramedics arrived. I pity to see what your co-pay is going to be after all these ambulance rides, Flynn, even if some of it is under worker's comp," Provenza told him.

"I fell?" Andy asked, confirming what Provenza had said. He reached up to touch the bandage on his forehead again.

"Yes, and your doctor has been in, and you've had some tests run. She should be back in soon. Charming one, she is, Flynn," Provenza rolled his eyes. Andy felt like he was ready to close his eyes and again and shut out the world. "Your doctor even scares me, which we both know isn't an easy thing to do."

"Provenza, listen," he started.

"Ahh, Mr. Flynn, you're awake," his doctor said as she entered. "Blood clot hasn't killed you yet, but keep it up, and it's only a matter of time. Passed out on the bathroom floor. Here's a thought-when you're dizzy, CALL THE DOCTOR."

"Doctor, what is going on with him?" Provenza asked, gesturing at Andy. "My wife wondered if his medications were making him dizzy."

"They certainly were, and Mr. Flynn, that's something you should have called me about before now. Instead, you chose to be hard-headed, no pun intended, and you've fast-tracked yourself for surgery," she explained.

"Surgery!" Andy exclaimed, and he immediately winced as he realized his head hurt, and quite frankly, most of his body hurt. "Has the clot moved?"

"It has," she nodded and pointed to a spot even higher on his neck. "It's here, and it's only a matter of time before we'd be saying, 'Bye-bye Mr. Flynn' if you know what I mean."

"Doc, while there are days I would take him out myself, what can we do to keep him alive now?" Provenza asked as he glared at Andy.

"We need to operate, sooner than later, if we can. I'd take him up to surgery right now, but we've got to watch his blood count and all his numbers, really. I can check later today and run a few more tests, but hopefully no later than tomorrow morning we can operate," she explained. "Mr. Flynn, this is serious, much more serious than before."

"I get it, doctor," he sighed. "What kind of recovery?"

"You'll be here a few days. We will have to get you up and walking, monitoring your dizziness. You'll start physical therapy too, and you won't be able to work for at least a couple months. I'd say you are out until the middle of January to be safe, maybe longer. You're not young, and this is a serious procedure."

"Longer!" Andy exclaimed again, as he winced in pain. Provenza put his arm on Andy's arm to keep him calm.

"Flynn, we don't need this to go to your brain when we're this close," he complained. "Sit back, relax, and stop flipping out on us. She's going to get you fixed up so you are as irritating as ever."

"Mr. Flynn, I know he's your medical proxy. If you have family to call, you need to let them know you will be in surgery either later today or first thing tomorrow. This is not something to take lightly. I do this all the time, but it is a serious matter. Now, I'm going to check back in a few hours. Get some rest,"she nodded and left. Andy was left with Provenza, and he sighed as he turned back to him.

"Provenza, I'm sorry about all this. Where's Patrice? I need to thank her. She saved me, I'm sure," he started.

Provenza nodded, "She did. You bled all over the bathroom floor, Flynn, and I'm going to charge you the cleaning fee to clean up that mess. Buzz knew someone, so I already sent them over to clean it up and repair anything your clumsy self broke. Patrice didn't need to do that too. She's been working hard to make sure you don't die. She is downstairs. You've been out of it a few hours. It's after lunch, so I sent her to get something to eat. She'll be back up here soon. I'm not using this as a vacation day, in case you wondered. I told Taylor I was still on the job, the Flynnsitter for the day. If anything, I'll charge this day out of the office to your leave. You need to get out of here, soon, Flynn. I still need to buy Patrice a ring, and for some reason, I would like your input on that."

"Why?" Andy asked. "You've bought plenty of engagement rings before," he tried to chuckle, but he grimaced again with the pain.

"I need to get this right," he waved his hands. "Somehow, women seem to love your look, your taste," he gestured at Andy. "Plus, I need you to work your magic, your charm, and get the girl at the store to give me a nice discount on the ring. I don't know, maybe you can take her to dinner or something. I was in there last week, and she's a pretty young thing."

"Whatever, Provenza," Andy waved to him. "Look," he turned back, now serious. "I really need you to go to my house. We were going to finally go today, and obviously, I can't do that now."

"Flynn! Where's the fire? You don't have a pet, your mail can't be that exciting, and I know you don't have any plants to kill. You're stuck in the hospital, so there is no need to worry about your attire now. You look awful, by the way," he nodded.

"Provenza! It's not just about that," he groaned, as he tried to move his head. He winced in pain again as the pain caused him to close his eyes. "Look, I need you to get something for me. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't an emergency. I know you and I can irritate each other to no end; I get that and so do you, but when one of us needs something, truly needs something, we come through for each other. This is one of those times."

"Flynn! You've been on me about going to your place for almost two weeks now," Provenza grumbled.

"For good reason!" Andy fired right back at him. "Look, this is something you need to do for me. I don't ask much, but this you need to do, no questions asked."

"I don't do well anytime I'm told no questions are to be asked," he pointed out.

"Go to my house. I keep my gun lock box in my bedroom closet, above the shelf, over the closet door. I need you to get in the box. Key is on my key ring. I need you to bring me what is inside," Andy explained. "Please, I wouldn't ask, but I need you to do this. If I could remember the number right now, I wouldn't even bother to send you."

"Flynn, what are you saying? If you could remember the number-Flynn, you hit your head so hard, you're delusional right now," Provenza complained.

"I'm not delusional! My mind is foggy, but I need you to do this, please. Provenza, I can explain more later, but I need you to do that before my surgery," he sighed.

"What's in the box, Flynn?" Provenza eyed him suspiciously.

"You'll see when you get there," Andy told him and closed his eyes again in pain.

"No, I'm not driving all the way to your place, because from here, it is a long way, almost an hour each way, until I know what I'm getting. Flynn, what is in the box?"he asked again.

"Fine," Andy sighed. "It's a phone. I need you to get the phone. As I said, if I could remember the number, I wouldn't send you."

Provenza looked to Andy's nightstand where he'd put Andy's cell phone. He held it up and looked to Andy. "It's right here. What number? What's your little rant about remembering a number?"

"Not that phone, Provenza," Andy shook his head and then grimaced in pain again. "I think if you stop and think a moment, you can put all this together. I need you to get a phone I have locked in that box. It's for emergencies only, and this definitely constitutes an emergency."

Provenza eyed Andy again and pointed at him, "I knew it."


	29. Chapter 29

Rusty slammed the door shut and rubbed his hands together. Ohio was cold, and he didn't like it. Yes, he'd been called 'California Boy' by many at school, and he'd finally decided he didn't mind the name. It was true; he'd take Southern California any day of the week over the winter tundra Ohio was becoming.

"Sharon?" he called out. The house was lit for the evening, and he'd sent her a text over an hour ago that he was going to be late. It was now after seven, which was late for Rusty when coming from school.

"I'm in the bedroom. I'll be out shortly," she called to him. "Dinner is on the stove, and I waited to eat with you."

Rusty nodded to himself and began to peel off the layers of clothing he had put on for the day. He hung up his warm winter coat, one of the many things Sharon had bought with her store discount. He took off his gloves, scarf, and hat too, reluctant to take off any of that because underneath, his bare skin was freezing. He didn't know how people enjoyed winter, weather below freezing. He bent down to unlace his hiking style boots, another thing he'd let Sharon purchase for him, and he had to admit, he was glad to have them. There was already a thin layer of snow and ice on the ground, and from what he'd heard from his friends, winter was going to get much worse before it got better. It just seemed wrong to him. Thanksgiving was getting closer, and he remembered how nice the weather had been last year on Thanksgiving. That had been in California, though, and somehow, he didn't think the balmy temperatures would return to Ohio. After he finished taking off his many layers, he tried to warm up his hands again as he ran them over his jeans and then wrapped them in his sweater. Sharon had told him she'd made soup, so he started for the kitchen to check on it.

Rusty glanced down the hall toward the bedrooms. He was about to call out to Sharon, but he heard her turn on the vacuum cleaner, so he knew what she was doing. He walked to the stove and smiled at the sight of soup. Yes, on a cold night, soup was perfect. He had a feeling he'd consume a lot of soup over the winter. While Sharon ran the vacuum, he decided to start dishing out the soup. As he was doing so, he heard an odd noise coming from Sharon's purse. Her phone was on the counter, so he moved to her bag, cautiously, not sure what he would find. He wasn't one to go through Sharon's purse, but she was down the hall with the vacuum on, so he dug until he found it, an old phone. He frowned as he pulled it out, and he flipped it open since it didn't even show a caller id.

"Hello?" he said, hesitantly, not sure what he'd hear on the other end.

"Rusty?" he heard, and he jumped back and looked to the phone, knowing the voice, but almost afraid since he hadn't heard that voice in almost a year.

Rusty pulled the phone back up to his ear and stepped out of the kitchen, to look down the hallway toward Sharon's room where she was still running the vacuum. "Lieutenant?" he asked. "Oh, is it you?"

"Rusty," he heard again and then a sigh. It was definitely the lieutenant.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear from you. You won't believe this place. Wait, did you get Stroh? Is that why you are calling? I can't wait to get out of here. It's-" he was cut off.

"RUSTY!" he heard loudly and jumped, even though the voice wasn't in the room, but on the phone. "DO NOT say another word, do you hear me?" Provenza said sternly.

"Umm, yeah," Rusty grimaced at the stern warning. "Lieutenant, what is going on?"

"Rusty, I'm sorry, but do not tell me anything. You can't tell me a word. I found this phone, and I need to speak to the captain. Is she there with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's here," he nodded and then sighed to himself, knowing Provenza couldn't see him. "Hold on. I didn't know she had this phone."

"Rusty, please, don't talk. You need to stay safe. Just get her for me," he asked.

"Sharon," Rusty called down the hall. He'd heard her turn off the vacuum, and he called to her as he walked toward her bedroom. "Sharon," he called again as he reached her doorway. She had her back to him and was bent over, winding up the cord on the vacuum, when she turned to him in the doorway.

"Rusty, what is it?" she asked, now worried. She could see the panic on his face. He had the phone in his hand, which he'd dropped to his side. He held up his hand, and Sharon's eyes grew wide as she saw it. "Rusty, is that Andy?"

He shook his head and handed the phone to her. The color on her face drained as she took the phone from him.

"I heard an odd noise, and I didn't know you had a phone. I dug it out of your purse," he explained as she took the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, the question evident in her voice. She looked to Rusty, wondering who was on the phone.

"Sharon," Provenza said as he sighed.

"Lieutenant," she said, her eyes now wide as she looked to Rusty. He gave her a sympathetic shrug, as he watched her on the phone. "Why do you have this phone?"

"I think you and I both know there's one reason I'd have or even know about this phone, Captain," he told her.

"What happened?" Sharon asked, raising her hand to her heart as her eyes welled up with tears. "Is he okay?"

"He got hurt a couple weeks ago now," Provenza started to say, but Sharon jumped in.

"He was hurt two weeks ago, and I'm just hearing about it now!" she exclaimed. Rusty's eyes also grew wide as he listened to Sharon.

"Hold on," Provenza sighed. He ran his hand through his hair as he started to pace the room. He was still at Andy's house. He'd obviously found the phone, and Andy had told him before he left the hospital that in case something happened to him, to just hit the speed dial for #1 on the phone. Once Provenza had located the phone, he toyed with the idea of taking it back to the hospital and letting Andy do the calling. He had decided he needed to soften the blow before Andy got onto the phone, and while Andy was the idiot who hadn't told him WHY it was so important to get to the house before now, Provenza still felt somewhat at fault for not getting the information to Sharon sooner. "Listen, it's partly my fault," he started with the conversation and sighed again. "I had no idea about all this," he gestured, not that anyone could see him. He continued to pace the room and stopped in front of Andy's bookcase where he shook his head at all the photos of Andy and Sharon, nothing recent, but he wouldn't expect that from the two who were obviously being very careful about the situation. "I'd only put together that he'd probably seen you. Guy hasn't taken vacations in years, and suddenly, he's gone for weeks at a time now. For a long time, he was more irritating than ever, but lately, he's been decent, almost pleasant. I put two and two together, but I didn't know about the phone. I don't know where you are, so you can trust that is safe. I stopped Rusty before he said anything."

"We only recently added the phone," she explained. "Emergency use for the most part, and Louie, this sounds like it. What's going on?" Sharon moved to her bed where she sat on the edge of it. Rusty moved into the room too and took a seat in the rocking chair Sharon had purchased and put in the room only a month ago.

"He was in pursuit of a suspect right after he got back," Provenza started. "Called it a 'dust up' but he was thrown from a moving car." Sharon gasped sharply and put her hand to her mouth.

"Is he okay?" she asked. "Why are you just telling me this if it happened two weeks ago? Was he run over?"

"He's in the hospital now. Look, the idiot didn't tell me about the phone. He kept telling me he needed to get a few things at his place, but quite frankly, the night he was injured, I drove all the way out here, grabbed his suitcase which was still packed, and I have had him at my house. Patrice and I have been keeping an eye on him. He was scheduled to go back to work after just a few days, but the doctor found a blood clot had developed."

"A blood clot! Where?" she asked, her voice now panicked again.

"That's the problem," Provenza sighed as he ran his hand over his face. "Look, I drove back to his place to get this phone. He finally told me about it today. I'm still at his house. Patrice is at the hospital," he said as he looked at a photo of Andy and Sharon from Nicole's wedding. They had been dancing, and it was obvious the photographer asked them to pose for a picture. They were on the dance floor, arms around each other, but both turned toward the camera. They had bright smiles and appeared happy. The present today was a different tale; they were apart and very much alone. Provenza sighed again, knowing that this had to be harder on Sharon than he could imagine.

"Louie, you still haven't told me about the clot," Sharon pleaded. "He's in the hospital, so it's serious. What is going on?" Rusty's eyes grew even larger as he processed what Sharon said. He was just getting bits and pieces of the conversation as he heard Sharon talk.

"It's in his carotid artery," Provenza told her. "The fall he took left him with broken ribs. He was taken by ambulance that afternoon, as I said, right after he got back. Idiot is so stubborn, he came back to work a few hours later, refusing to take most of the medications he'd been given."

"His addiction," Sharon sighed as she shook her head. She was starting to understand the issue.

"Right, so he almost collapsed at work later that night, and he was taken back to the hospital for the second time," Provenza paused to catch his breath. "Look, I had no idea he had a way to communicate with you. You are both smart. I didn't figure you were emailing our using anything like The Facebook. We'd avoided the subject, but I knew he'd had contact with you. If the idiot had told me before now, I would have gotten to this phone before now."

"What's the plan?" Sharon asked, as she cleared her voice and ran her hand over her eyes. She knew she was close to crying. Andy, her Andy, was stuck in the hospital with a potentially life-threatening issue.

"The doctor is going to do surgery today or tomorrow. The last two weeks, they have been watching the clot. He was sent home with me for a couple days after he almost collapsed at work. He seemed to be on the mend, at least as much as one can be with broken ribs and a slight concussion. I'd promised to drive him all the way out here, to his house, after we finished with the current case. We've been swamped lately, getting case after case. It doesn't help that Flynn is out, Davis is away, and Taylor is breathing down my back. I didn't even mention that your dear old ex-husband has been lurking in the building, and that hasn't helped. Anyway, Patrice has been staying with Flynn, or I should clarify that to say that Flynn has been staying with Patrice and me. During the day, she's kept an eye on him, but he collapsed this morning as he was getting ready for a doctor's appointment. He fell in the bathroom, cut his forehead badly, and Patrice kept him alive until the paramedics arrived."

"Oh, my," Sharon sighed. "Andy," she said quietly. "Is he conscious?"

"Yes, he is. He's awake and finally told me why he was so insistent on getting home. He wanted to get to this phone. The doc needs to operate because the clot has moved, most likely triggered by the fall. The clot is much higher, closer to the ear, if you are trying to picture it, and they need to operate immediately. Flynn's blood is being monitored, and as soon as they can, they are going to operate. I drove out here to get this phone and take it to him. I decided to let you know before I got back to the hospital because I didn't want him trying to downplay it to you. It is serious, but the doctor is confident she can get this clot. Sharon, I am sorry you didn't get word sooner. I should have taken Flynn to his house."

"Thank you for telling me," Sharon sighed as she wiped a stray tear. "Let's not talk about what should have been done. The fact is that Andy needs surgery, and I would very much like to speak to him before he has surgery. We discussed the phones and decided these were to be used for emergencies. If this isn't one, I don't know what is. Would you please have him call me?"

"Of course," Provenza nodded. "Sharon, he's going to be okay."

Sharon hung up with Provenza then, and she turned to Rusty who was perched on the edge of her rocking chair.

"What's going on? Andy's hurt?" he asked.

Sharon nodded slightly as she was still a bit dazed. She turned her attention to Rusty, "He was injured as soon as he got back to work after leaving us," she sighed as she held back a tear. "He was thrown from a moving car while in pursuit of a suspect. I don't know all the details, but he's had a couple trips to the hospital where he's been diagnosed with broken ribs and a concussion. Lieutenant Provenza and Patrice have been keeping an eye on him; Andy has been staying with them, which is why he hasn't called me himself. Provenza apologized about not getting the phone, but Andy only told him about the phone today."

"I didn't know about the phone either," Rusty pointed out to her. Sharon offered a small smile, a dazed look, and she nodded at him.

"I know," she nodded again. "Andy and I felt it was necessary. We said it was to be used for emergencies, and this would be one. Andy has apparently been trying to get home to get to the phone, but Provenza has kept him at his place. Andy is in the hospital because he developed a serious blood clot from the fall, and they need to do surgery immediately so it doesn't spread to his brain. Rusty, it's serious."

Rusty's eyes grew even wider, "Is he going to be okay? Sharon, he can't like die. It's Andy. He's going to be okay, right?"

Sharon shrugged, "I don't know. Lieutenant Provenza believes he will be okay, but I know how he is sometimes. He's on his way back to the hospital now with the phone. I am hoping to speak to Andy before they take him to surgery," she coughed out a sob, as she closed her eyes and started to cry. Rusty moved quickly to give her a hug.

"Sharon, it's the lieutenant. He's like the strongest guy I know. He'll be okay. Nothing is going to happen to him."

Sharon just nodded as he head was buried in Rusty's shoulder. "Rusty, I need to speak to him."

"I know," Rusty nodded. "Look, it's what, almost an hour drive to the hospital from his house? Let's have some soup. You need to eat, and it's hot. We can wait for the call and figure this out."

Sharon spent the next half hour picking through her soup as she kept her eyes on the phone, willing it to ring. When it finally did ring, she almost jumped out of her seat. She looked to Rusty, as she tried to calm herself.

"You okay to answer?" he asked, as he sat back in his chair. She just nodded and picked up the phone.

"Hi," she said with a nervousness in her voice. She let her voice waver slightly, and she wiped another tear on her face.

"Hey," he grumbled as he tried to shift in the bed. He winced in pain as he did. Provenza stood next to him where he'd told Andy he had already spoken to Sharon. As much as Andy wanted to yell at him about calling Sharon and worrying her, he knew his friend was honestly trying to help. "How are you?"

Andy heard Provenza grumble and mumble something that sounded like idiot, but he tried to ignore him and focus on the call.

"I'm okay," she said, as she tried to collect herself. "I'm glad to hear your voice, but the question is really how are you doing?"

"I've been better," he groaned as he moved again. "Ribs hurt like you wouldn't believe."

"Hmm, I cracked a couple ribs once, years ago. Yes, it's nasty. Andy, what about this surgery. I am so sorry I'm not there," she sighed.

"I know," he nodded. He looked to Provenza, "I know Provenza filled you in on everything. Doc was in, and she's planning for the surgery now tomorrow first thing, probably around 6:00 or so. My labs weren't the best yet, and she thinks I'll be ready by the morning. They are keeping a watchful eye on the clot. She'll get it tomorrow. I know it's useless to tell you not to worry, but I'll be okay."

"What's the prognosis after that?" she asked.

"Ahh, physical therapy. I'll be here for a few days as well. After that, she said I'll be benched from work most likely through the holidays, maybe through mid-January," he frowned as he glanced to Provenza. Provenza stood there, just listening as Andy continued.

"So, our trip," she bit her lip.

"Yeah," he nodded as he continued to frown. He met Provenza's gaze and shook his head. "January isn't looking good. I think I'll be stuck here in LA." Provenza nodded as he realized the two had plans for January and acknowledged that now, Andy would be stuck here in LA.

"Okay," Sharon wiped her face again. "I just want you to get better. I need you to get through this surgery tomorrow, Andy."

"I will," he nodded. "Promise. I'll be good as new." Sharon let out a snort laugh, which caused Andy to smile. "There, I'd rather hear you laugh. Please don't cry," he sighed.

"I just wish I could be there, to hold you," she said quietly. "I'm so sorry, Andy. I will chew you out later for taking so long to tell me."

"I tried to get to the phone," he started to protest.

"Stop," she said. "I don't need you upset. The point is we're talking now, and I'm so glad I agreed to the phones. You were right about them."

He grinned, "Could you repeat that? Maybe you could say it loudly enough for Provenza to hear you-that I was right about something?"

Sharon was silent, and then she said, "Andy, I love you."

"I love you too," he told her. He glanced to Provenza who was now making gagging faces. "Provenza loves hearing it," he smiled as he chuckled into the phone.

"Would you have him call me when they take you up and finish surgery?" she asked.

"I will," he nodded. "Look, I want you to remain focused, you and your sidekick there. Tell him I wish he was here to keep me from being so bored. We could play chess, but tell him I love him too. I know he'll squirm away at hearing it, but I wanted to say it."

"I will," she sighed as she wiped her face again. She turned to Rusty and offered him a sad smile. "Are you in a lot of pain?" as she turned her attention back to Andy on the phone.

"I won't lie," he said, but then he didn't add anything further.

"Hmm, I will take that as confirmation you are," she nodded to herself. "I need you to get well. We've come this far already, Andy. I need you a few more decades," she admitted.

"Same," he nodded. "I promise to call you as soon as I can, as soon as I'm awake from surgery, deal?"

She let out a laugh, "Here, I thought I was the one who made the deals."

"You've rubbed off on me," he smiled. "I love you. Try not to worry."

"I'll always worry, Andy," she let out a soft sob. "I feel helpless, but I know I can pray everything will work out. I have faith it will."

"Me too," he nodded. "I'll be up and moving around again before you know it. We'll be walking that track." Provenza's eyes grew wide at the mention of doing anything with Sharon. It was the first and only detail that had been released about the two of them in the last year. Andy glanced at Provenza and realized he needed to stop talking about any visit with Sharon. "I'm going to hang up now," he said. "I'm really tired, and the doc told me to rest up."

"Okay," she told him. "I love you, Andy. You get some rest. Would you put me back on the phone with Lieutenant Provenza?"

"I will. Love you, Sweetheart," he told her and nodded to Provenza. "She wants to speak to you again."

Provenza nodded, and he took the phone, "This idiot is going to be fine, you know."

Sharon let out a half laugh, half sob, "Take good care of him, please. That's an order."

"Well, for once, I'll try to follow your orders. I guess you are rubbing off on me too. I'll call in the morning," he told her.

"Please do. Anytime. You can call anytime. I'll answer. Thank you, Louie," she told him and hung up.

Rusty sat there as she hung up and just waited. She let out a couple silent sobs before she wiped her face and forced a smile as she looked to him. "He's going to be okay," she nodded.

"Well, yeah," Rusty smiled slightly. "I think Lieutenant Provenza might actually retire if anything happened to Andy. Work wouldn't be enjoyable if he couldn't tease Andy all day. Sharon, he's going to be fine."

Sharon nodded as she thought, "His health hasn't been the best. He's been working so hard to stay healthy."

"Which is why he'll be fine. He eats well, better than anyone you or I know," Rusty admitted.

Sharon nodded, "Yes, but he's had decades of damage to his body with drinking and bad habits. I hope it's enough."

"Sharon, I just heard you tell him you have faith he'll be okay. Trust that," Rusty told her. "Trust your faith."


	30. Chapter 30

Thank you for all the reviews! I know I don't thank all of you enough, but I appreciate it. There are many of you in our Facebook group-thanks you, and a thank you to some who review a lot (and I just haven't had time to reply to all)-I don't mean to miss any of you, but thank you to Abydosorphan, rick, maidenpride, xbleeple, walkerdude1, , seaford71, MaxiP99, HeiBeSo, and the several guests who have enjoyed the story. Again, thank you. It's still very much a work in progress, as is my other story about ProFlynnza and the wedding day. Enjoy!

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Andy coughed as he woke up. He groaned when he realized he was in some pain. As he opened his eyes, he realized it must be evening because it was mostly dark in the room. There was a small light on near the door, but otherwise it was dark. He glanced around looking for Provenza, but he didn't see him. He knew the surgery had happened; he had awakened earlier in the day while in recovery. He was in pain then and completely exhausted, so he'd not stayed awake very long, probably just long enough to alert the world and Provenza that he wasn't dead, yet. He had no idea what time it was, just that it must be later into the evening. He coughed again, desperate for a cup of water, and he fumbled around looking for the button to call the nurses' station.

He coughed again, while he searched for the button, and he noticed his door to the hall push open. Provenza must not have closed it all the way, and as he opened the door, Andy winced at the light. His eyes weren't accustomed to it yet. He closed them as he grimaced, and with that he groaned at the pain he could feel in his neck.

"You're awake," he heard and instantly his eyes flew open.

"Did I die?" he asked. "There's no way you should be standing here unless I died, and I'm dreaming."

"You didn't die," she said quietly as she smiled at him and took his hand in hers. She sat on the side of the bed and looked at him. "I just needed to see that for myself."

He looked at her, and he looked at his hand where she was holding it. He looked back up to her green eyes, that thankfully he could see now that his eyes had adjusted to the light in the room. "What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be here. This could ruin everything you and Rusty have done."

"Shhh," she shook her head. She leaned down closer to Andy to look at him. She smiled softly and then she leaned in and kissed him. As she pulled back to look at his eyes, she said, "I believe I told you before that sometimes you have to do things in life. I had to come, Andy. I had to see you. I've been very careful."

"Flynn, you've turned her into a rule-breaker," the two heard from behind Sharon. Sharon smiled at Andy, and the two turned toward Provenza who had followed Sharon back into the room. Andy just hadn't noticed him yet.

"I prefer to see it as a gray area," she shrugged as she winked at Andy and turned to Provenza. "Rusty did not come with me. I also took precautions to do some covert traveling. I may have flown all over the place to hopefully hide my origination and destination."

Provenza held up his hand, "Flynn, before you say anything more, I don't know where she is living. Don't be stupid and talk about that. Nothing has been blown, so when she leaves here, the hope is she can return to this new home of hers without anyone knowing where it is. Besides you, Mike and I know about this whole little reunion," he gestured with his hands. "I had to get someone to help, and he seemed like the most logical one."

Sharon smiled at Andy again, "If I can't trust my three lieutenants, who can I trust?" she shrugged. Andy gripped her hand tighter, and she turned back to him. "How are you feeling? Lieutenant Provenza has been updating me in the hall. I only got here a half hour ago."

"What time is it?" Andy asked as he groaned again.

"Just after 8:00 now," Provenza said. "Visiting hours are winding down. That was part of this plan, to get her in here late in the evening, but the captain has also been flying all day. And, I will once again point out she's turned into a rule-breaker," Provenza smiled slightly. "She didn't even argue when I said I was going to use my badge to get her up here."

"I can't believe you came," Andy shook his head. "You are taking a huge risk."

Sharon shook her head as she ran her arm down Andy's free arm, "It was something I needed to do. I couldn't just sit by the phone and wait. I wanted to see for myself. I love you too much to just let you be here alone."

"Captain, that is where I'm going to enforce the rules," Provenza nodded as he put his hands in his pockets. "None of that mushy stuff," he made a face and gestured.

Andy chuckled and tugged on Sharon's hand. She turned to him, and he pulled her toward him so he could kiss her again. "For that Provenza, you can just deal with this," he winked at Sharon, and he kissed her again. She smiled at him and pulled back to get a good look at him.

"Your color is off still, but that's to be expected. Are you in a lot of pain?" she asked.

"Pain, yes, but it's not awful. What I would like is some water," he told them.

"Oh, gosh," Sharon started to jump up, but Andy pulled on her hand.

"Let him get it," he told her as the two turned, and Provenza nodded as he walked to the sink to fill the water pitcher. "I can't imagine you are here long, so don't leave my side."

"I'm here until tomorrow," she frowned slightly. "I would like nothing more than to stay longer, but it is a risk to be here, yes, a risk I have no problem taking, but it isn't wise for me to stay longer than that. I just really needed to see you."

The door opened, and everyone turned quickly toward it. No one else, other than the three of them and Mike were to know Sharon was in town. Provenza had spoken to the nurses at the desk, and they were fine with it. He didn't have to get into a lot of details, only telling them that Sharon was family in for just the night.

The group sighed when one of the nurses walked into the room, "Mr. Flynn, nice to see you awake again. How are you feeling?"

"Okay," he sighed. "I mean, tired, in some pain," he shrugged, "but nothing I can't tolerate."

She nodded as she picked up his chart and made a few notes, "Okay, well, let's check your vitals and see how things are coming along with you." Sharon stood and moved back so the nurse could come closer. She locked eyes with Andy, and he did the same with her. "The nurse looked to Sharon. "I heard you traveled all day to see this guy. He must be special," she smiled.

"He is," Sharon nodded from her place, now next to Provenza along the way. "He's very special."

"Well, we'll take good care of him. Mr. Flynn, your numbers look good. Your doctor left instructions for some pain medications we can administer overnight as needed. She is going to be in tomorrow morning, probably around 7:00, maybe even earlier. She likes to see her patients bright and early if she can and if she doesn't have a surgery scheduled. I see that she would like you to start seeing the physical therapist tomorrow afternoon. He will most likely stop by to start you on some easy exercises. Now, do you have any questions for me right now?"

"Can I eat anything?" he asked. "I do feel like I could eat."

She nodded, "Your surgery was over 12 hours ago now, and yes, we can get you some soft foods to start. Let's see how you take those, and we can go from there. We can start you on some Jell-O and soup if that would be okay for now."

Andy nodded as he looked toward Sharon and Provenza, "Yeah, that's fine. I don't have a huge appetite, but I would like to try and eat. I'm determined to get out of this place sooner rather than later."

"One day at a time, Mr. Flynn," she smiled to Andy. "We will get you out of here as soon as we can. You had a serious procedure done today. Just rest and be glad everything went well."

Sharon waited until the nurse left and then moved back toward Andy's side. He shifted slightly in his bed and patted the side for her to sit next to him.

"Andy, I don't want to hurt you. You just had surgery," she told him.

"I barely get to see you. Sit," he used his finger now to point at the spot. She rolled her eyes and curled up next to him. He put his arm on her knee and turned his attention to Provenza.

"So, catch me up. You're my medical proxy. What happened today?" he asked as he ran his hand on Sharon's knee, and Sharon put her head on his shoulder, making sure she wasn't bothering the side where he'd had surgery.

"Your doctor said surgery went well," Provenza told him as he pulled up a chair to sit by the foot of the bed. "She got the clot, no complications. She's arrogant, but that's a good thing, I guess, for a surgeon. She knew what she was doing and kept you alive. You were in recovery longer than expected because apparently you had some trouble waking up from the anesthesia. Nothing serious, but it took longer than normal. When you did wake up, you went right back to sleep. I'm not sure if you remember that."

"Yeah," Andy nodded as he grimaced again from the pain in his neck. Sharon lifted her head, and he patted her knee he was okay. "I remember waking up and feeling so tired. I don't know how long I was awake, but I know I went back to sleep pretty fast. I vaguely remember waking up a couple other times during the day. I wasn't awake long, was I?"

"No," Provenza chuckled. "I had to step out for an hour or so this afternoon, work issue, but Patrice was here. She said you stirred and opened your eyes at one point, but you went right back to sleep."

Andy sighed, "I don't remember Patrice being here. Please thank her. Thank you too, Provenza, and Mike, I guess, for helping Sharon get here."

Almost at the mention of her name, Sharon's phone rang. She pulled it out of her cardigan pocket and looked to the men. "Rusty," she explained. "He's been so worried about you, Andy," she offered a small smile. She started to move to take the call, and Andy squeezed her knee.

"You're fine," he nodded to her, and she smiled.

"Rusty," she said as she answered her phone. "Andy's awake. He's going to be okay."

"Oh, I'm so glad," Rusty sighed as he slumped back into the couch back at home. "I've been really worried all day, and then I didn't hear anything from you."

Sharon nodded, "I only got here now about an hour ago, and Andy just woke up. Lieutenant Provenza and I are with him now. He's going to be okay," she smiled at Andy. "Would you like to talk to him yourself?" she asked as she looked to Andy. He nodded that he'd be glad to speak to Rusty.

"Umm, yeah," Rusty told her.

"Rusty," Andy said quietly as he took the phone. His mouth was still dry even after getting some water. "I'm going to be fine. I just want you to keep telling Sharon that when she gets back."

"I will," Rusty told him. "Are you in pain?"

"Of course, I'm in pain. I'm stuck here with Provenza. What would you expect?" he flashed a small grin at Sharon, and the two could hear Rusty start to chuckle on the other end. "By the way, Provenza says hi. He's still the same annoying person. How's school?"

"Good," Rusty told him. "I got my application in and hope to hear by Christmas," he told Andy.

"Outstanding" Andy nodded. "I'm sure you'll get in," he said, making sure not to get into more detail with Provenza in the room, again for Provenza's own safety as much as anything. "Listen, I'm going to hand you back to your mom. I'm still really tired."

"Get well, Andy. Glad Sharon could see you for herself. She was worried sick," he told him.

"I can imagine," he nodded and handed the phone back to Sharon. Sharon told Rusty she'd speak to him in the morning and hung up. She looked back to Andy and then to Provenza.

"How is Rusty holding up?" Provenza asked.

Sharon bit her lip, "With this," she gestured to Andy, "or with everything?"

"Both, I guess," Provenza shrugged.

"He's been very worried about Andy. Each time my plane landed, I had a voicemail from Rusty asking about Andy. With everything, it's been an adjustment," she smiled slightly as she looked to Andy. "He's doing well in school. Location has been interesting, but I won't get into that. He's got a part-time job, and he's made some friends."

"Speaking of," Andy asked her, "I'm surprised you were okay with leaving him alone. I know before," he gestured to her, indicating he knew Rusty had been left alone when they'd taken their romantic trip to Cleveland, "but, this is a much different story."

Sharon pursed her lips and nodded, "My friends are keeping an eye on him. The one couple had him for dinner tonight, and he's going to help serve dinner at church tomorrow for a fundraiser they are having."

"Rusty is growing up," Provenza raised his eyes to Sharon as he listened. "Rusty, helping others, now that is progress."

"Yes," Sharon smiled as she looked to Andy. "He's fine. I know that. I'll be home late tomorrow. I just had to see you."

"I'm glad you came," Andy leaned over and kissed her head, "even if you are now a complete rule-breaker." He grinned and Sharon swatted at his shoulder. He pretended to act hurt, and then he smiled at Sharon again. "So, what's the plan?" he gestured between Sharon and Provenza

"I'm going to stay right here," she nodded to her spot on Andy's bed. "Well, I can move if you need me to, but I'm not leaving your room tonight. Lieutenant Provenza secured a private room, away from the rest of the patients, so we are nice and isolated here."

"Provenza, remind me to thank you later" Andy grinned and raised his eyebrows at him.

"Oh, stop it, Flynn! Get your mind off THAT," he grimaced as he said it. "I can guarantee that's one rule the captain won't break even for you, THAT while you are in a hospital, and by the way, you, my friend, have a lot of explaining to do when you are well," he gestured to the two of them. "I realize you don't live in the same city anymore, but are we at least beyond the denial of dating?"

"We are, Lieutenant," Sharon chuckled as she kissed Andy's cheek. "You are right about things I won't break the rules doing in a hospital," she grinned at Andy, "but, yes, for as complicated as our lives are right now, Andy and I are together, even though we're apart," she rolled her eyes as she explained.

"Ahh, even that is complicated," Provenza sighed.

"So, the plan?" Andy asked again.

"Right," Sharon nodded. "I'm staying here with you. I can even shower in the morning before I leave. I just brought a carry-on bag."

"Mike is going to help me get her out of here," Provenza nodded. "He's going to take her back to the airport. He picked her up for me earlier."

Andy nodded, "Thanks, Provenza, and I'll thank Mike later too. He's a good guy."

"Oh, and Captain," Provenza nodded to her as he stood, "I hope you don't mind, but Patrice knows as well. I don't hide anything from her."

"It's fine, Lieutenant," Sharon smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to hide anything. I've heard all about her, and I wish circumstances were different that I could get to know her better."

"She won't say a word, Captain," he nodded to her. "She's been worried about Flynn too."

"Please thank her for taking such good care of Andy the last few weeks, and tell her I am especially grateful she was there when he fell." At the mention of Andy's fall, Sharon turned toward his bandaged head area. "How is that? Does it hurt?"

"I've got a constant headache," he nodded, "but that could also be because Provenza is still here," he said as he offered a smile to Sharon.

"On that note, I'm going home for the evening," Provenza nodded to them and waved on his way out.


	31. Chapter 31

Sharon took a deep breath as she got situated on the plane. On one hand, it seemed like it had been weeks since she'd flown, but on the other, the reality was that she'd been flying almost the past two days straight. She took another deep breath and looked around, checking her surroundings. She was on a smaller plane for this first leg, a flight to Salt Lake City to start. She didn't even want to think about what her credit card statement would look like when she got it, but the flights were worth it. Seeing Andy was worth it. She sat back and took another deep breath, ready for another full day of travel. She's seen Andy, and he was going to be okay. Now, it was time to go home, although home is where she was leaving. She was leaving Andy, but as hard as that was, she was so glad the trip had come together for her, that she had seen him with her own eyes. He was going to be okay.

That didn't mean that Andy was in the clear. Well, he was, but he still had a road to recovery. She hated leaving him before he started physical therapy, but she couldn't stay in LA indefinitely. Luckily for Sharon, though, the physical therapist had stopped by just before she had left with some paperwork for Andy, so she'd met the guy, and she'd been able to ask a few questions. It broke her heart, though, when he asked her if she would be taking care of him when he was discharged, and she'd had to tell him no, she wouldn't be taking care of him. He would be with Provenza and then on his own.

Sharon looked out her window seat and thought back to the last 24 hours. She'd been zig-zagging all over the country, and she was about to do it again. She shook her head with the notion that her flight activity probably appeared suspicious, and she hoped she wasn't flagged with Homeland Security or something. She was glad to have friends, good friends, who helped to make the trip possible. Work had been very understanding when she told them she had a family emergency and needed a couple days off. She'd then called Kathy, who had become a dear friend, and she explained some of the situation to her, that Andy had to have surgery due to a blood clot. She knew Kathy would encourage her to go; she had been encouraging Sharon in her relationship with Andy even with the little information she had. The two had been walking quite a bit, and now that it was getting colder, they were starting to walk at the indoor track at the community college. Not only had Kathy volunteered to drive her to the airport, well before dawn, she'd told Sharon they would keep an eye on Rusty, or rather Chris, and have him for dinner. Rusty had been good too; he'd been Sharon's rock as she tried not to 'freak out' as he called it. While Sharon had toyed with the idea of going to Andy, she hadn't been the first to vocalize it; Rusty had.

 _"I think you should go to him, Sharon," Rusty had said after she hung up with Provenza. "Sharon, I know you want to be there, and you can't be there because of me, because a serial killer is after me, but you should go."_

 _"Rusty," she shook her head and sighed._

 _"Come on, Sharon," Rusty encouraged. "I know you, and I know you are already thinking about it. You'll feel better, and we both know you'll be really careful. You'll obviously need some help, so ask for it, for once. As much as he pretends to be annoyed, Lieutenant Provenza will help you. You know he will. Go to the lieutenant and see that he's okay."_

 _Sharon had just nodded at Rusty, and then she stood to give him a hug. She then went to her computer and started searching for all her plane tickets, which took her another half hour to purchase. She bought her tickets before she called Provenza, knowing it would easier to talk him into the plan if she could safely say that she had already bought her tickets._

 _"Louie," she said when she called Andy's burner phone later that night. She wasn't sure why 'Louie' came out of her mouth, but it had. Maybe it was the personal nature of the situation, but she knew she'd been switching back and forth between Louie and Lieutenant Provenza the whole evening. As she thought, she realized Provenza had been doing the same thing._

 _"I just left him for the night. He's asleep. No change," he said before she could say another word._

 _"Thank you," she nodded. "I'm coming to see him. I have to see him."_

 _"Well, I learned a long time ago it was pointless to try and talk you out of something. I guess you've earned the title as 'Idiot #2' to join him in that name. As much as it pains me to admit it, he'll want to see you. Guy might actually relax when he does," Provenza told her._

 _"Okay," she nodded to herself. "Thank you for not fighting me. Now that we have that out of the way, I'm hoping you can help make this happen."_

Sharon looked up to find that most of the flight had boarded, but what had drawn her attention is that she now had a seatmate, an older woman.

"Oh, flying is such a hassle," the woman sighed as she sat down. Sharon could tell the woman was a talker. Sharon just smiled and nodded.

"Business or pleasure?" the woman asked Sharon as she got situated.

"Ahh, well, neither," Sharon nodded. "Hospital," she said abruptly, and when she noticed the woman look at her with a questioning gaze, she clarified, "Someone I love is in the hospital and had surgery. I came," she shrugged.

"Oh, dear," the woman said, as she shook her head. "Family?" she asked. "I hope he or she," the woman looked to Sharon for clarification, "is okay."

"He will be," Sharon nodded. "Thank you for asking. Yes, family, to me at least, a man I love, a man I plan to marry."

Sharon didn't hear much after that, but she nodded her head at the woman, as she thought back to the night she'd had with Andy in the hospital. He had been very groggy and been in and out of sleep all night. Sharon wasn't sure she'd slept more than a few minutes at a time, but for the time being, she wasn't tired. She had decided if anything good was to come out of her all-day travel it was perhaps that she would be so exhausted later she might sleep. While she sat next to Andy all evening, she watched him sleep, and when he was awake, the two made the most of their short time together and talked. They talked and talked, sometimes until Andy fell back asleep. On more than one occasion, he'd awakened later and apologized for falling asleep on Sharon as they talked. She didn't mind. Her time with him was a gift, and she wasn't about to worry if he, a man who'd had surgery, was sleeping or not.

During the time he had been awake, they'd talked, just as if they hadn't been apart for weeks at all. That was one thing Sharon continued to love about Andy. No matter how much time had passed, the two always picked up right where they had left off before. Andy apologized over and over for not calling her sooner, for not telling her about his accident, but she knew it was what it was. It wouldn't be a mistake that would happen again. The two talked about the last few weeks, catching up on work and life in general. Sharon told Andy all about Rusty's college excitement and that he'd sent in his application. Andy told Sharon he'd spoken to all the kids in the last couple weeks, and they were all worried about him. He promised to call them after he got out of the hospital, but he'd told Sharon that Provenza had been keeping them posted. They talked about Provenza, about what a good friend he had been and how they hated putting him in the middle of everything. Andy told Sharon he was going to sit down and tell Provenza a lot of the story when he got out of the hospital, keeping her location from him, because they all knew, Provenza included, he wouldn't want to know.

 _"Andy, I've been doing a lot of thinking since you left," Sharon told him as she ran her hand up and down his arm. "Some of what we talked about before has had me thinking."_

 _"What's that? Sharon, if it's that I should walk away because you feel like you're keeping me tied down, I'm not going to discuss that. It's not an option," he told her._

 _"No," she smiled at him as she patted his arm. As she did, she noted on her watch it was after 3:00 AM now. Andy had been sleeping on and off all night, and he seemed more alert than he had been a couple hours ago. "I tried to deny things between us for years. I also realized that I keep trying to push you away because I feel it will hurt less, but deep down, I now know the opposite is true. We're too close to be apart," she shrugged at him with tears in her eyes._

 _"Hey," he said quietly, as he wiped her tear, "don't cry, Sweetheart. Really, I'm going to be okay."_

 _"I know that now," she sighed as she wiped another tear and tried to chuckle. "I'm a mess. I can see you are going to be okay. I have just been so worried since I spoke to you. No, this isn't a knee-jerk reaction. It's something I've thought about almost non-stop since you left and wanted to discuss it with you the next time we were together. I just didn't realize it would be in a hospital room."_

 _"Okay," he nodded as he rubbed his thumb over her face. "I'm glad you have realized I'm not going anywhere, ever. You're stuck with me," he smiled as he bumped his shoulder against hers. She smiled softly and nodded._

 _"Correction," she nodded to him, "we're stuck with each other a couple weeks at a time, a few times a year, as long as a serial killer is on the loose."_

 _Andy tried to chuckle at the true, but almost ridiculous statement Sharon had made, but he grimaced in pain as he did. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts to laugh," he told her as he closed his eyes and groaned. "You know they could catch Stroh at any point, right?"_

 _She nodded, but sighed, "He could also stay on the loose for the foreseeable future. He's dictating our lives even when we want nothing but to move on from the horrible mess he has caused."_

 _"Wait," Andy stopped her and shifted to look at her better, "Sharon, you aren't thinking of coming home, are you? You and Rusty can't come home. Honey, it's too dangerous."_

 _Sharon looked down and nodded, "I know. That's not what this is about, although, I do have that thought every few days. I know it's not safe. Rusty isn't safe. As much as I'd like to just throw in the towel and do that, I know it's not the responsible thing to do. No, that's not what I wanted to discuss."_

 _He nodded, "Okay," and shifted in the bed to get more comfortable._

 _"Andy," she smiled at him, "I'd like to revisit the idea of the two of us getting married in the future," she said as she tried to hold back an even bigger smile._

 _"Really?" Andy grinned and then closed his eyes as the pain hit him again. "That's great, Sharon," he said through gritted teeth._

 _Sharon covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh, "You don't sound so convinced," she continued to laugh. "I have to say in all the scenarios I have had in my head about this conversation, it didn't involve you gritting your teeth and closing your eyes while we discussed this."_

 _As the pain was passing, Andy started to chuckle. He cracked open his eye and turned to Sharon, as he took her hand in his. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I can't tell you how happy I am to talk about this again. I'm sorry I'm in pain."_

 _"I know," she said quietly as she put her hand on the side of his face. "I'm sorry you are in pain. We can talk about this later."_

 _"No, no, no," he reached up and put his hand over hers, "I would like nothing more right now than to talk about this with you. So, what's on your mind?"_

 _Sharon burst out laughing, "Is that the best you have?"_

 _"Well, what would you like me to say?" he chuckled as he groaned in pain again._

 _"I'd like you to explain to me how we're going to make this work," Sharon grinned as she leaned in and kissed his cheek and continued, "because, in my opinion, this has to work."_

Sharon opened her eyes and noticed she'd missed the plane taking-off; the plane was in mid-air, and she'd been going over the memories from the night before. She also realized she was more tired than she thought as she checked her watch and realized Andy was probably meeting with his physical therapist. It was later in the day than she realized. Sharon smiled as she thought about his therapy. She knew he'd grumble and complain; she could almost hear it, but he'd do it. He'd get through physical therapy because it meant he would be a step closer to getting out of the hospital and eventually back to Sharon. It would be awhile, she knew that, but Sharon couldn't wait until the next time she could see Andy.


	32. Chapter 32

November moved along, and Sharon had to admit the crazy holiday shoppers helped. She had to admit, though, she almost preferred solving murders over helping demanding holiday shoppers. The season was about giving, and the crazy shoppers sure had been giving her a hard time. She's spoken to Andy twice since she'd returned. They knew they couldn't keep calling each other; it was too risky, but he was doing well, so well, that his doctor had told him he would most likely be able to go back to work a couple weeks earlier, closer to the beginning of January. He'd promised Sharon he was doing his physical therapy, and the doctor, along with Patrice, had agreed that if Andy continued to do well, he could go back to his own house the first weekend in December, which was the weekend coming up. Sharon and Rusty had survived Thanksgiving without getting too sad. The two had spent most of the day at the church helping to serve a meal to those less fortunate. She and Rusty had both agreed it felt good to do something for others.

The first weekend in December was also a big one for Rusty. He had exams coming up, and he had plans to study all weekend. He promised Sharon he would put up the Christmas tree after his exams, which were all scheduled to be over by the middle of the week. Thanks to Andy, Sharon had a lot of her regular Christmas ornaments. Andy had gone through them and brought her some of the ones she cherished the most. She had been overwhelmed when she'd found them in her suitcases during his last visit. She'd thanked him over and over for bringing them, and while she couldn't see him, she knew she would think of him every time she looked at the tree. Sharon and Rusty were going to put the tree up after his exams, and in the meantime, Sharon was trying to outfit the rest of the house with some new Christmas décor. Andy hadn't brought everything, but he'd brought her a few of her Christmas decorations. He'd apologized for not bringing the elf village, Ricky's favorite decoration, but he'd promised to put it up at his house. Ricky and Emily were going to come through LA for a few days after Christmas and were already planning to stay with Andy. They'd worried about him during his surgery too, and he was excited the kids were going to visit. Sharon had understood about the elf village and was delighted when she found something similar at the store.

"Is that the freaky elf village Ricky likes?" Rusty grimaced as he stood back to watch Sharon set it up in the living room.

She turned to Rusty and smiled, "It's not the same one; Andy has that one, but I found one almost identical to it," she clapped her hands together as she smiled brightly. "Isn't it exciting?"

"Something like that," he shook his head and made a face. "I have never understood that ugly village."

"Oh, hush," she waved at him. "That is a tradition I will keep alive even if Ricky can't be here. You know," she put her hands on her hips and turned to him, "you have never gotten excited about any Christmas traditions or ornaments. What would you like on the tree or in the house? It's time you found something special about Christmas in our family, Rusty."

He shrugged, "I don't know. I guess the first couple years I was with you, it was just Christmas at your house. I guess I haven't thought of it as my house, or my Christmas."

"Well, we need to change that," Sharon nodded. "After we get the tree up this next week, we need to do some shopping to finish decorating the house. If you come with me, maybe you can find something that just, I don't know," she shrugged, "screams Rusty."

He frowned at her, "Yeah, not big on shopping. You're welcome to shop for me. I'm sure you can find something that can be my tradition."

Sharon shook her head, "You have no sense of occasion!" she exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air. "You want me to find something that can be your Rusty tradition at Christmas?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Fine, I'll shop ALONE," she told him. "I would have thought that with you on Christmas break by then, you would enjoy going shopping with your poor, old mother."

"Not really," he grinned. "Plus, I'm going to be working a lot at the bookstore, at least when they are open. They're closing for a few days around Christmas, but otherwise, I'm going to work as much as I can. I want to have some money saved before I go to school next year."

"Which reminds me," Sharon dropped her playful pout about Rusty's lack of interest in Christmas, "isn't Miami sending out some acceptance letters soon?"

"Yeah, I don't want to get too excited," he shrugged. "They're sending out the first batch before Christmas. I got my application in on time, so I should know one way or another."

"You're going to get in," Sharon nodded. "I just know it. Have faith, Rusty."

As the days passed, Rusty sighed each evening when he came home and found more and more Christmas had taken over their small home. He knew Sharon enjoyed her job, but he didn't understand how someone could shop on their lunch break when she worked for a store. That baffled him, and he was wondering who in the witness protection program had thought it would be a good idea to put Sharon, queen of shopping, in a job at the mall. He could only imagine what Sharon had gotten him for Christmas with the amount of decorating she was doing. He felt badly because he knew it was her favorite time of the year, her favorite holiday, and she wouldn't see everyone for it. He planned to surprise her with a tree. Yes, they had discussed getting a Christmas tree when he finished exams, which he still planned to do, but he just had decided he would go and buy one during the day, while she was still at work, to setup at home for her. Rusty was well aware of all Sharon had done for him over the last year, really the last several years, and he felt like surprising her with a simple Christmas tree was the least he could do. He had plans to make Christmas extra special for Sharon.

Meanwhile, back in LA, Andy was not sharing the same Christmas cheer. He was hating life because he'd been stuck with a very cheerful physical therapist, and Andy wasn't in the mood for a cheerful physical therapist.

"What's wrong with you?" Provenza asked him when he picked him up from physical therapy. "You're overly depressed."

"Nothing," Andy waved at him as he settled into the car. "Thanks for picking me up. I'll be glad to see the doc on Friday and get cleared to drive and go home. I'm just tired of this physical therapist of mine."

"How are you tired of a physical therapist? I saw some of the ones working there. Flynn, which one is yours? Is it the hot blonde who is at least half our ages? I mean, you can look, still can't you?"

"Would you just stop talking?" Andy looked to him and shook his head. "No, she's not my physical therapist. Yeah, it might be different if she was," he offered a small smile. "No, I've got his really annoying guy, too cheerful for me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Sharon handpicked him for me, the most annoying guy, hoping I would be so irritated I'd work extra hard to get done with physical therapy."

Provenza turned to him as he drove and rolled his eyes, "That has the captain written all over it. What makes you think she didn't do that?"

"She didn't," Andy said sharply through gritted teeth. "He means well, but he's just," Andy gestured, "annoying. Anyway, thanks for picking me up. I know Patrice has picked me up every other time, so you haven't had the pleasure of my irritation."

"Oh, I've had the pleasure of your irritation," Provenza grumbled, "just not with this particular event. Now that we are finally alone, because, let's face it, since your surgery, Patrice has been hoovering like a dog worried about its owner; it's time we talk."

Andy looked to him and shook his head. As he turned his attention back on the road, he looked back at Provenza, "Where are we going? This isn't the way back to your house."

"The beach. I'm not walking in the sand, but we can walk down the boardwalk area. I need to pick up a couple things for Patrice anyway. Trying to start my Christmas shopping early," he nodded.

"Oh, no," Andy looked to him. "Last time we went Christmas shopping at the beach, it didn't end well for us. Wait, how did I not notice you're wearing your favorite beach shirt? That shirt is terrible. You had this all planned."

Provenza shrugged, "You need the exercise. A walk is good for you, so you might as well walk while I shop. We'll be fine," he waved at him. "Last time we were there, neither of us had a woman in our life, or well, would admit to it," he threw a smirk at Andy.

"We weren't dating then at all. I've told you that! That was a long time ago," he sighed.

"Well, time to talk now that we are alone, Flynn. Look, I don't want to know where she is, but I have wondered all this time how you know where she is?" Provenza questioned.

Andy sighed, "Look, I know I've said it, but I do appreciate everything you've done for me. I know we irritate each other to no end, but I am grateful. I can't tell you what it means to me that you and Mike helped get Sharon out here, even if it was for about 15 hours. You are a good friend, and I hate that you've been dragged into our secret."

"Secret," Provenza grumbled. "Flynn, I'll deny this if you ever tell anyone else, but I actually feel sorry for you, all of you. Rusty's life has been a mess, and then he ran into a serial killer. The captain has had her share of disappointments with that Raydor idiot, and then she takes on Rusty and his mess. I, for the life of me, can't figure out why she wants to take on you and your mess, but she does."

"Yeah, it's a mess, alright," Andy sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I found her."

Provenza narrowed his gaze as he turned to Andy, "What do you mean?"

"I mean I found her," Andy shrugged. "Those first few months, I spent all my time at home trying to find her."

"You found her?" Provenza repeated. "You aren't that good a detective."

"I did find, her, Provenza!" Andy exclaimed. "She broke the rules, first, though, and she sent a package to Emily. It, well, if I get into the details too much, it reveals too much, but let's just say that the package gave me a big clue. From there, I tracked her down."

"Flynn, has it occurred to you that if you can find her, Stroh can too? Don't be so stupid and take a risk like that! You're putting Rusty and the captain in a dangerous spot, not to mention the other kids knowing."

"They don't know," Andy told him, and Provenza looked at him surprised. "I'm serious," he shrugged. "Look, we've been careful. We've covered our tracks. As much as Sharon wants to tell the kids, she knows she can't. It's not safe. I travel extra days on my trip to be evasive. It's working so far. We didn't get the phones until my last trip because we needed something for emergencies, and man, am I glad we did that. I had to change my summer trip plans when work got in the way, and that's what sparked the topic of the phones."

"You aren't calling her all the time, are you?" he asked.

"No, I'm not stupid!" Andy exclaimed. "I've spoken to her twice since the surgery, mainly to let her know I was okay and out of the hospital."

Provenza nodded as he pulled into the parking lot near the beach, "Tell me, Flynn, are they at least doing okay? Is Rusty doing okay?"

"He is," Andy grinned. "He's doing quite well, actually. They hate being away, but both are adjusting. Sharon's made some good friends. I can't tell you what a relief it was to find her. I thought it might take me much longer."

"So, you two," he gestured with a hand, "have worked out your, well, your mess? You've pledged your undying love to each other so that Rusty is ready to throw up on the two of you?"

"Oh, stuff it, lover boy! You're the one who has been nervous all week about getting engaged. Just ask the lady!" Andy yelled.

"I will! I'd rather do that when you aren't living with us, so GET OUT," Provenza emphasized.

"Believe me, gladly," Andy rolled his eyes. "Doc told me I can come back to work first of January and didn't realize what a gift a month away from you would be!"

"You dodged my question," Provenza pointed out to him. "We're not here to discuss Patrice and my upcoming proposal. I saw the captain. She was a total emotional mess when you were in the hospital. Dare I guess what's been going on with you two?"

"You know I love her. We're finally on the same page. It took her longer, but she loves me too," he smiled.

"So, you two," Provenza waved his hand around in the air.

"Are together," Andy finished the sentence before Provenza could say another word. "That's what I'm going to tell you, except we aren't together because we live apart."

Provenza shook his head, "It's sad that I understood that odd response. So, what if she and Rusty stay there from now on?"

"We'll deal with it," Andy nodded. "Look, as much as I'd like to just disappear into the sunset with her, I'm the connection to all the kids. If I leave life here, I leave not just two kids, but four. I can keep an eye on all the kids and keep Sharon in the know about them. She needs that. As much as she needs me, she needs a connection to her kids. Relationships are more than just whirlwind romances. At the end of the day, it's all worth it because you are tied to a person you love, even if far apart. Sharon adores her kids, and I love mine. She would be devastated if all ties were cut to the kids."

"You're telling me that you are willing to potentially go the rest of your life living like this?" Provenza asked him. He turned off the engine and waited for Andy's answer before getting out.

"Tell me, Provenza," Andy turned toward him as he put his finger to his mouth and continued, "you love Patrice. I know that, and you want to marry her. Would you do whatever it took to be with her? Put yourself in my situation."

Provenza huffed, "I didn't know you loved her THAT much, Flynn."


	33. Chapter 33

"Oh, yes, yes, yes this is awesome!" Rusty exclaimed as he watched the television early Monday morning. Sharon was at the kitchen table, where she could see into the living room area and shook her head at Rusty.

"I thought you hated Ohio," she pointed out to him.

"No one told me exams could get canceled for weather!" he exclaimed as he danced around the room. "Man, this is awesome. I can't believe it."

Sharon hummed and flashed a fake smile at him, "You do realize that you will still have that exam. It might be postponed from this morning, but I can guarantee your professor will be sending you an email or something to reschedule it. Also note, that you are home because we have had a lot of snow. That means you will have to suit up later in all your layers and use the snow blower. You can start by shoveling the garage area before I head to work."

Rusty frowned, but he still tried to fire back at Sharon, "They said the mall was opening at 12. You don't have to go in as early."

"Don't I?" Sharon asked, as she held up her phone. "I received an email late last night that stated I was to report as usual as part of the management. We are going ahead with a previously scheduled meeting. What I might do, though, is borrow your car. It has better traction, and I doubt you'll be going anywhere seeing as how you are trying to put forth a lot of effort studying."

"Oh," Rusty frowned again. He knew he wasn't going to get anything by Sharon. "Yeah, sure, you can borrow my car. Sorry you have to go to work at the same time. Are you going to be home for dinner?"

"I will," she stated as she got up and put her bowl in the dishwasher. Sharon finished cleaning the kitchen and looked to Rusty. "Rusty," she chuckled, "you look like an excited little boy who is enjoying his first school snow day."

"I am!" he grinned at her. "I just never imagined they'd close the community college too."

Sharon's phone rang, and she nodded to Rusty to take her call. Rusty could tell it was work, and he watched Sharon as she nodded and gave a few short answers.

"Good news," she grinned when she ended the call. "They canceled my meeting. I don't have to be there until 11:00 now."

"Nice!" Rusty grinned. "Ohio moves up a notch for snow closures."

"You know, Rusty, that for it to close anything, we got a lot of snow. Have you really looked outside? Other parts of the country shut down as soon as flurries start. Ohio is set for snow, so I'm guessing we've got at least four inches on the ground since it started overnight."

Rusty followed Sharon to the window where both looked at the winter wonderland that had transformed the dreary landscape outside. It was still snowing, but it was supposed to stop within the hour.

"How about I make us some hot chocolate and some muffins? When the kids were little, we would always make that at the ski condo when it would snow. Would you indulge me with tradition?" she smiled.

"Sure, Sharon," he grinned. "That's better than the dumb elf village. Tell you what-I'll shovel the steps and run the snow blower so you can get to work if you make the snacks."

"I like that deal," she grinned. Rusty nodded and started off to his room to get dressed. Sharon stood and watched the snow, and smiled as she thought about her life. She didn't realize how much she enjoyed the snow. In LA, she didn't have to deal with snow, but she'd always loved it at the ski condo. She hadn't seen snow in several years, nothing like what they were getting today, and she enjoyed it. Yes, they'd gotten some snow when they'd arrived last winter, but Sharon had been in such a funk, she hadn't really enjoyed it. She was enjoying it now and just wishing Andy could enjoy it with her.

Sharon and Rusty spent a leisurely morning enjoying their hot chocolate and muffins. Sharon turned on Christmas music to get them into the spirt of the holiday. Rusty cleared off the driveway and sidewalk for Sharon, and when she left for work, Rusty promised to study and make dinner.

"Be careful, Sharon," he told her as she started out the door.

"I will. Thank you for the use of your car today. Good luck studying," she smiled at him and waved to him. Rusty watched from the door and instantly felt like he was moving in slow motion. Sharon, even in her rubber boots, which she had her dress shoes in her bag to put on at work, slipped on the ice.

"Sharon!" he called to her. Her purse and bag with her shoes broke her fall, but as she sat up, Sharon flinched.

"Oh, I think I broke my wrist," she sighed. She whimpered as she tried to hold up her hand, and as she looked to Rusty, the two made faces at each other.

"It's not supposed to bend like that," he grimaced.

Sharon sighed as she nodded. She asked, "Could you please help me up? I think we're going to spend our snow day in the ER."

A few hours later, Sharon sighed and shook her head as she and Rusty waited for her final paperwork to leave the ER.

"At least you got a cool cast," Rusty grinned. He nodded to Sharon's red cast, something she begrudgingly let him choose. She had been annoyed with how excited he'd been about her cast.

"Sharon, you're like all about Christmas. They said they could do your cast in red. You should get a red cast," he nodded.

"Why are you excited about this?" she rolled her eyes at him.

"I've just never seen you like hurt. I'm sorry your broke your wrist, but for once, I can take care of you. I also think that you really need to take advantage of the red cast look for Christmas. Very festive," he nodded as he grinned.

Sharon had scoffed at him, but she'd agreed to the red cast. Now, as she sat waiting, she groaned as she looked at it. "This is going to be a mess. It's my right hand, and I do everything with that hand. I had planned to put up and decorate the tree," she said as she trailed off deep in thought.

"Sharon," Rusty touched her leg, cautious to use her real name in the hospital with people in and out, "don't worry. It will be okay. The doc said you could use your hand in a day or so as long as it didn't put strain on your wrist. We'll get everything ready for Christmas. It could be worse. You could have hurt yourself much worse. You could have broken a hip or a leg. You're of that age, Sharon," he nodded.

Sharon narrowed her eyes at Rusty, "I'd be very careful when you discuss age, Rusty. I might have hurt myself, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm old."

"My bad," he raised his hands in defense. "Well, at least you didn't jump on a moving car and almost die," he chuckled.

Sharon gasped as she put her uninjured hand to her mouth, "Andy!" she said with wide eyes. "Oh, gosh, I don't want to bother him with this. I'll be fine," she waved off.

"Said Andy when he was thrown from a moving car," Rusty nodded to her. "Yeah, look how that turned out."

"Fine," Sharon sighed as she shook her head. "Of course, I'm going to tell Andy. I just didn't plan to call him from the hospital. I will be okay. It's nothing life threatening."

"Said a certain lieutenant when he went back to work," Rusty smirked.

Sharon turned to him and shook her head at him, "Rusty, my broken wrist is nothing compared to what Andy had had going on. This is an annoyance," she held up her wrist. "It's not life threatening and certainly not worthy of an emergency call."

"Oh, so you don't want to call him? Wow, Sharon, everything okay?" he said sarcastically again.

"Rusty," she sighed. "I will call him, maybe just not today about this," she gestured to her red cast.

"Just call him by the weekend, Sharon, or I'll be the emergency call," he grinned. Sharon was going to say more, but the doctor returned.

"Okay, Mrs. Jenkins," he said as he entered the room with a pile of paperwork and continued, "you are good to go."

"Sandra," she nodded to him, please. "Mrs. Jenkins is so formal."

"Plus, you're not married, Mom," Rusty grinned. He'd already told Sharon the doctor seemed to like her. The doctor was younger than Sharon, but maybe by five years or so. Rusty knew it would only annoy Sharon and make her blush which it certainly was doing now.

"Ahh, Chris, would you take this paperwork?" she gestured to him as she held it out for him to take. She moved to get off the examining table, and the doctor helped her stand. "Thank you," she nodded to him.

"Not a problem. Glad I could help, and I'm sorry you injured yourself before Christmas. That's a bit of a Christmas blunder," he chuckled.

"Yes, I guess it is," she nodded to him. "Chris, ready to go?"

"Thanks for taking care of my mom," Rusty nodded to the doctor. "Let's go home," he nodded to Sharon.

"Thank you again, doctor," she smiled at him. "Have a Merry Christmas yourself."

"Yeah, thanks for telling us about the casting options," Rusty grinned. "The red is perfect. Mom, too bad it won't still be on your hand for Valentine's Day. I'm sure Andy would have loved to have drawn hearts all over it for you." Sharon turned to him and gave him a look. Rusty grinned at her, noticing she was blushing again.

"Ahh, well, take care," the doctor nodded, obviously understanding Rusty's comment about Andy, even though nothing else had been said about him. Sharon nodded and moved quickly out of the room, while Rusty followed at a slower pace as he grinned at her.

"What was that?" she hissed as they started down the hall.

"THAT was for the last few years I've had to watch you and Andy dance around your dating issues. I've never really had a chance to get back at you for hiding that you two were dating forever," he smiled.

"We weren't dating then!" she hissed and sighed at the same time. Sharon looked to Rusty and shook her head. She knew it was a worthless fight.

Once Sharon was finally situated at home on the couch, Rusty went to his room to continue his studies. He had a final on Tuesday, two on Wednesday, and still hadn't heard about his canceled final due to the snow.

"Sharon, if you need anything, just let me know," he told her as he ducked into his room. Sharon just sighed and looked to her lap. The doctor had put in a mild pain pill for her, and as much as she didn't want to take it, her wrist was throbbing. She'd called work on the way to the hospital, and they'd told her to use a sick day for her broken wrist. She thought about calling Andy, but she decided against it, knowing that he went to physical therapy on Mondays. She didn't want to interrupt that.

"Oh man!" she heard Rusty yell from his room.

"What's wrong?" she yelled back.

"My final. He moved the final to Friday at 4:00, like the worst time ever."

Sharon bit her lip as she chuckled to herself. She might not have had a way to get back at Rusty for the comments at the hospital, but the final seemed to gain its revenge.

As the week progressed, Sharon answered question after question in regard to her red cast. She continued to regret that she'd allowed Rusty to pick the color, but she couldn't do anything about it now. She hated that she'd have to wear the thing for the next seven weeks, which was the doctor's recommendation due to her age and the area of the break. He'd also told her she'd need to go to physical therapy after, again, mainly due to her age, which had drawn a chuckle from Rusty. Sharon had put a stop to that when she'd turned and glared at him as he tried to hide in his chair. Sharon had thought that it was almost ironic she'd already canceled the ski trip in January. After Andy's surgery, the two had discussed it, and as tempting as the trip sounded, they knew it would not be a good idea. So, they were in limbo, waiting on Andy's reports. Sharon didn't have the heart to tell Andy she was now also in need of physical therapy. She knew he'd be irritated she hadn't called yet, but she didn't want to worry him about something so trivial, at least compared to the medical issues he'd had.

As she drove home from work on Thursday, she went through her refrigerator contents in her head. She knew Rusty would be back to studying for the final he now had on Friday, so she was going to make dinner. She determined she had enough in her refrigerator to make dinner and could put off going to the grocery store another day. She was very much looking forward to the weekend. The holiday shoppers were driving her nuts, and she really wanted a couple days to rest. Her hand was irritating her, and she knew a couple days resting it would make all the difference.

"Rusty, I'm home," she called out when she entered the house. "Rusty, I told you I'd make dinner," she smiled as she took off her coat. She could smell dinner and knew Rusty felt badly about her broken wrist.

"Hope you're hungry," she heard and spun around.

"Andy!" she exclaimed and ran to him, squealing with delight. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She kissed him quickly and pulled back to look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" he gestured to her hand. "What happened?"

"You mean Rusty hasn't told you?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, not a word. Wait, you didn't do this today and go to work, did you?"

"No, no," she patted his chest and sighed. "I fell on Monday morning. We got quite a snow, and when I left for work, I slipped on the ice outside. Rusty had cleared the drive, but I just slipped. I was going to call you," she trailed off as she bit her lip.

"Yeah," he huffed. "Slipped your mind, huh?"

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I really didn't want to bother you with something so trivial. You've had so much on your plate."

"Sharon," he frowned, "this is not trivial. You're injured. You're in a red cast," he chuckled and said, "which, I can't wait for that story. I want to know whenever something is wrong. We promised."

"I know, "she nodded to him. "I am sorry. Look, can we discuss this later? I really want to know how you are doing and how long you can stay?"

"Well," he smiled at her, "if there is one benefit to medical leave, it's that I can't go to work. Doc said I could return January 1, and wouldn't you know it, Taylor has me on the schedule January 1. I'm here for a long weekend, until Monday. I wish I could stay longer, but two things-I can only miss so many days of physical therapy, and the boys are in the Nutcracker."

"Oh, the Nutcracker," Sharon sighed and shook her head. Andy ran his hand along her face.

"I know," he mumbled. "I know. It's our thing. It's our place. I'm going to go crazy next week sitting through that thing without you."

Sharon nodded as she looked to the ground. Andy nudged her chin, and she looked up and smiled at him. "I'm glad you are here."

"Me too," he leaned in and kissed her. "Oh, and before you say anything, the doc said I was fine to fly. I told him I would behave while here, so no shoveling snow for me," he chuckled, "but, I'm here."

She grinned and nodded, "Where's Rusty? Is he studying?"

"Yeah," Andy nodded. "I made dinner. You need to go to the store, young lady."

Sharon let out a louder laugh, "Oh, I've missed you. Wait," she stopped and looked to him, "where's your car?"

"Oh," he smiled. "I took an Uber. I'm fine to drive; doc cleared me, but I decided that I hadn't driven in snow in a long time, so that wasn't a good idea. I also figured I would save the money and knew Rusty was probably done with exams. I'm supposed to rest anyway, so if I'm home without a car, it's not a big deal."

"Home," she grinned. "I like that you called this place home."


	34. Chapter 34

"Ahh, look, if it isn't the physical therapy pen pals," Rusty grinned as he walked into the living room where Sharon and Andy were now sitting on the couch together talking. Sharon had only been home a few minutes, but Rusty had known better than to greet her while she was greeting Andy. The two looked up and smiled at Rusty.

"I want to know when you two became such co-conspirators," Sharon smiled at Rusty and then turned back to Andy. "You are ganging up on me."

"You want us to get along," Rusty pointed out as he walked into the living room area and flopped in the chair across from Sharon and Andy. He shrugged his shoulders. "Andy, you're here just in time to help us decorate for Christmas."

"I figured," he nodded. "One of my bags is packed with some Christmas decorations."

Sharon turned to him and smiled, "You brought more of my decorations?"

"I did," he winked. "I knew it was your favorite holiday. I'll be glad to help set up the tree for Christmas, especially with this injury here," Andy nodded to her hand and reached for it to inspect the cast. "So, you slipped on the ice Monday, huh?"

"She did," Rusty nodded. "Almost left the ER with a date too," he grinned.

Andy raised his eyebrow to Sharon and shook his head. Sharon shrugged back at him, "I wouldn't call it that. He was a very nice, YOUNGER," she emphasized as she glared at Rusty, "doctor who took good care of me. The only thing I regret is the red cast Rusty talked me into getting."

"I kinda like it," he grinned at Sharon. "Very festive."

"See, that's what I said, Andy!" Rusty exclaimed as he smiled triumphantly.

"You two, honestly," Sharon sighed and shook her head.

"Okay, besides checking on Sharon before they have to amputate her arm and indulging her sense of occasion by decorating the tree, what else do you two have planned during your stay?" he grinned as he sat back and crossed his arms.

"Amputate my arm? Rusty, you really do exaggerate things. It's just a small break," she sighed.

Andy continued to laugh, as he ran his hand up and down Sharon's back. He looked to Sharon, "Have you talked to him?"

"No, not yet," she replied. Rusty looked to the two with a questioning gaze.

"Talked to me about what?" he asked.

Sharon reached for Andy's hand and took it in hers. She smiled at him, and the two turned to Rusty, "We would like to get married," she stated as she nodded her head once.

"Married, what?" Rusty asked. "Wait, can you get married? What about Andy? I thought he couldn't live here."

"It's all very complicated, Rusty," Andy told him. "What's not complicated is I love your mother, and she loves me. We have decided not to let a little serial killer issue get in the way of that."

Sharon nodded and she grinned at Andy, "Yes, I can get married, and while I wouldn't call it a little serial killer issue," she rolled her eyes at Andy, "Andy is right. We aren't going to let things get in the way. As far as getting married, they briefed me on that when we were put into the program, that I was legally able to get married. I have to do that under my new name, and Andy and I agreed I can't change my last name. That is too risky. At the time, it was the furthest thing from my mind because I didn't know if I'd see Andy again, let alone get to this point."

"So, on paper at least," Andy sighed as he rolled his eyes at Sharon and then to Rusty, he shook his head, "I'll be married to another Sandra. The name I just can't shake. I get rid of an ex-wife with that name and oh, the irony, I'll legally be married again to another Sandra," he chuckled.

"Oh yeah," Rusty nodded. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Believe me," Andy grumbled and continued, "I think about it every time we are in public, and I have to call her Sandra." He made a face at Sharon, and she started to laugh.

"I'm sorry about the name. I begged them for a different one, and they'd already started working on our new identities, so they couldn't change it."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved at her and turned his attention back to Rusty and his questions.

"Rusty, you asked a few good questions. No, I won't be able to live here with you and Sharon. For now, at least, I'll keep going back and forth, visiting when I can. If I were to move here, it would be under the assumption I, too, would leave the kids. That's not something Sharon nor I want. We have four other kids to consider, and we both want to put them first, at least ahead of our marriage for now because we don't have another choice. That doesn't make our marriage any less important. We want to be married because we love each other," Andy explained.

Sharon nodded, "It's still very complicated," she added. "With my new identity, I could remarry in the Catholic Church, but I wouldn't feel right about it. I'm living this lie, which I understand is for our safety, but I never did get my marriage to Jack annulled. Yes, I'm divorced, but the Catholic Church won't allow me to remarry within the church unless it is annulled. I've come to terms with that and am okay with it. It's a delicate situation, that if things were perfect, yes, I would get the annulment. This is not a perfect situation."

"And for me," Andy changed his position and put his arm around Sharon as he pulled her to his side, "I would be okay with getting an annulment too, but my problem is different. If I start asking questions about that to Sandra," he glanced to Sharon and frowned while he turned back to Rusty, "my ex-wife, just to clarify," he threw a fake smile at Sharon, "that would raise red flags. She would ask about it, and eventually, she'd tell the kids. I can't have Nicole asking why I suddenly want an annulment."

Rusty nodded as he listened, "So, this sounds like something you've discussed for awhile, right? I know you aren't talking on the phone much, so when was this all decided?"

Sharon pursed her lips as she looked to Andy and then back to Rusty to answer, "Well, we have been talking about it. We discussed it on Andy's last visit here, and not that his injury made the decision, but that certainly put life into perspective, at least for me," she nodded. "Rusty, we discussed it much more in depth when I went to see Andy in the hospital. Neither of us want to walk away from this, and we hope you are okay with all this. I know I should have said something sooner, but I wanted to wait so Andy and I could speak to you together."

Rusty just nodded again, "Yeah, I'm okay with it. I mean, you've had other prospects circling, Sharon," he grinned. "There's your friend from work, this random doctor, and who knows who else from church might be interested. Andy, you can marry Sharon. I like you better than her other prospects."

"Gee, thanks," Andy said as he rolled his eyes. Sharon burst out laughing, and soon the whole room was laughing.

"What? It's true," Rusty shrugged. "Oh, wait until Lieutenant Provenza hears. He'll flip out."

"Oh, well, we aren't going to tell him," Andy frowned. "I hate keeping this a secret, but we need to, at least from anyone back home. Your friends here can know, but the fewer the people who know, the better. I don't want to put Provenza into a situation where it would slip. I trust him completely, but it's not fair to ask him to keep even more of our secret. When Stroh is caught, we can tell him."

"If," Sharon corrected Andy. "If," she said again and looked at Andy. He sighed and shook his head as he looked away. "Rusty, we have to be prepared this could the situation for the rest of our lives. Eventually, you will have a family of your own. We'll figure out how to deal with all this when that time comes."

"Okay," Rusty said slowly as he processed everything. "So, you've talked this through; I get it. When are you planning on this big event?"

"Well, first of all," Sharon moved even closer to Andy and squeezed his knee, "we do not want any sort of big event. This is a small affair, very small. Obviously, we can't have family there, but we talked about inviting a few friends from church."

"We're also planning to get married at the courthouse, nothing grand. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, for one thing," Andy added.

Sharon nodded, "Yes, and while we haven't discussed this part yet," Sharon looked to Andy, "I'd like to get married while Andy is here this trip. When he was in the hospital, we discussed getting married on his next visit. We just didn't know when that would be, and while I certainly did not expect it to be this soon, I am hoping he hasn't changed his mind and would still consider getting married this week?"


	35. Chapter 35

As Sharon finished cleaning up the kitchen, she smiled as she listened to Andy and Rusty. They weren't saying much, but that was only because they were concentrating on a game of chess. She could hear the two move their pieces and every now and then, she'd hear one of them sigh. It warmed her heart that two of the men she loved most in the world had become so close. It would only be a better evening if she could have Ricky and Emily join them.

Sharon turned and leaned against the counter as she looked around her kitchen. It wasn't the home she missed, but it was home. People made it a home, and she was glad to see signs of life in her home. Rusty's books were stacked next to the table. Andy's coat was over the back of one of the chairs. She turned and looked at the refrigerator where she and Rusty had put pictures and paperwork on display, pictures of Sharon with Andy, even one with Rusty and Andy, along with papers detailing events at the church. It wasn't the home she imagined, but it was going to be the home she shared with her husband, at least when he was able to visit.

Of course, Andy had said he'd marry Sharon while he was in town. He'd hoped she would be okay with the short notice and happily told her he'd packed two different suits so she could pick her favorite.

 _"I'm free the rest of the week," he grinned as he gestured with one hand. "The question, my dear, is when are you available to get married?"_

 _"I think with one small change at work, I can be ready for Friday," she nodded. "That gives us the rest of this evening and all day tomorrow to plan. Easy," she shrugged as a huge grin spread across her face._

 _"Friday?" Rusty moaned, as he shook his head. "I've got that final at 4:00 on Friday."_

 _"Ahh, yes," Sharon smiled at Rusty. "I told you sometimes a snow day isn't worth it." Andy looked between the two for an explanation. "Rusty did the snow dance on Monday morning when everything was canceled. He mistakenly thought that would get him out of his final. Instead, his professor moved it to Friday at 4:00."_

 _Andy chuckled, "That's like the worst time. I like this guy."_

 _"Yeah, well, I don't. I'm just ready to be done with the class. I can't do more studying. I'm studied out," Rusty said as he continued to complain._

 _"We could do it earlier on Friday, say mid-morning?" she suggested. "Oh, but that might not work. I have to confess that I told Kathy and Becky about our plans," she said as she shrugged at Rusty. "Sorry, Rusty that I didn't you first, but I did want to discuss it with Andy here. Kathy and Becky grilled me after my trip to check on Andy in the hospital, and it just came up. I had told them I wasn't sure when Andy was going to visit next, but we planned to get married when he did come here."_

 _"Why don't you give them a call?" Andy suggested. "I know it's short notice, and I know they have become good friends. I like Mike and Eric. You've made good friends, Sharon, and of course, if they are available, it would be great to have them there. If not, we can continue to talk this through."_

So, Sharon had called the women, Becky first. She had surprised Sharon with some additional help in the process.

 _"I already have a doctor's appointment scheduled for 8:30 Friday morning and already have a substitute teacher scheduled for the day. I was going to take care of a few things, but this is fantastic!" she exclaimed. "We will be there. I can't wait. Sandra, you deserve to be happy, and you are just almost a different person when he is around. I am so happy for you. Listen, I can help even more. One of the judges here in town is a friend of Mike's, and maybe we can get him to perform the ceremony. Would you mind if I worked on that for you?"_

 _"Mind?" Sharon smiled into the phone. "That would be very sweet of you. We were going to just go to the courthouse, get our marriage license, and see which judge was available. It would be great to have a personal connection to one."_

 _"Great! I'll get working on that. I'll let you know what time," she added, and the two hung up._

 _Sharon's call to Kathy also had a positive outcome. "Sandra, I haven't taken a single day off school all year. I'm going to hang up and call in a substitute for Friday. This is so exciting!" she exclaimed. "Who have you invited?"_

 _After Sharon explained the small, intimate wedding plans, Kathy had surprised Sharon by offering to have a small reception in the form of a luncheon at her house. She enjoyed putting on parties and promised to turn her dining room into the perfect setting for the small party. Sharon, while still hesitant to do so, accepted the help and the offer. She wasn't used to people wanting to be kind, wanting to help, especially since she had spent most of her career dealing with the evils of this world._

So, in the matter of a few minutes, Sharon's new friends had helped her plan her wedding, a wedding that would be taking place in less than 48 hours to a man she'd been in love with much longer than she'd admitted. She, Andy, and Rusty had talked about more of the details over dinner, and now that dinner was over, the guys had retired to the living room where they were playing chess, and she finally had a few moments to process everything. Andy was here; he was in her home, their home," she smiled as she internally corrected herself, "and he was healthy, on the road to recovery. She pushed off the counter where she had been leaning against it as she had been lost in thought and made her way to the living room to join the guys. She sat down on the couch next to Andy and eyed the board, glancing to Rusty with a look of surprise.

"Yeah, yeah," Rusty waved her off. "I know he's winning. Don't say anything."

Sharon just nodded and bit her lip as she sat back to watch their game. It didn't last much longer, just another few minutes, before Andy won.

"Checkmate," he grinned. "Write this down; I finally beat Rusty."

"Have you been practicing?" Rusty frowned as he questioned Andy. "Either that, or I'm totally fried from my exams."

"Make any excuse you want," Andy waved at him. "I finally beat you, after what, hundreds of games?"

Rusty grinned, "Consider it your wedding present. I'm going to go and read. I don't want to study, but I feel like I'm being irresponsible if I don't study more before the final. Sharon, did you hear about Friday?"

"Not yet," Sharon shook her head. "I expect to hear in the morning. I would safely plan on a mid-morning wedding with lunch after. You'll have time to make your final," she smiled.

"I can only hope there's a question on it asking what I did before the test. I think it would be a first for someone to answer they'd spent the morning watching their mom get married," he grinned. "Night guys."

"Night," Sharon and Andy called out in unison.

Once Rusty was in his room, Andy shifted on the couch to face Sharon and put his arm on the back of the couch.

"So," he grinned, "are you sure you're okay with this?" he gestured. "We don't have to get married this quickly. I realize that I surprised you with my visit. We can wait until we can plan better."

"No," she reached out for his hand and stopped him from talking. "No, I don't want to wait. I can't wait to marry you, Andy," she smiled brightly.

"I can't either," he said quietly as he leaned in and kissed her. The two kissed for a few moments, aware Rusty was down the hall, and the both pulled back to smile at each other again. "I did bring two suits. I will let you decide. Again, I'm okay to wait. You even have that cast, Sharon," he nodded to her wrist.

"It's fine," she waved to him. "It's always going to be something. I found a dress at work after I came back from seeing you in the hospital. I'm serious, Andy. I don't want to wait. I found a lovely ivory colored dress, and I am very happy to say, that while I didn't plan this, it does have lace sleeves with some fabric under the lace. I think it will cover the cast. I just feel so stupid for slipping."

"Well, I know you will take my breath away in anything you wear," he told her quietly. "Cast or no cast-I don't care. In sickness and health, if I'm not mistaken?" he grinned.

"Hmm, yes, we've already had our share of that. Let's stick to health from this point forward. You know," she gave him a flirty smile, "there is something you can do to help me since I have this cast."

"What's that?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"It's very hard to wash my hair. Rusty helped me the other night; we washed it in the sink. I'd rather not do that. I was thinking a nice hot bath, and of course, that would traumatize Rusty, to ask him to wash my hair while I took a bath," she grinned. "Do you have the same fear?"

Andy jumped up, so quickly, it surprised Sharon. She burst out laughing at Andy's quick movements. "I'll start the tub," he said and winked to her as he moved quickly down the hall. Sharon closed the house and locked the doors as she smiled. The rest of her week and weekend were shaping up to be almost perfect.

The next day and a half passed by quickly, and soon, it was time for Sharon and Andy to get married. They'd spent the morning running around the house, taking care of the few last-minute details. The two had a busy Thursday, one which Sharon had to work. Rusty was home, which meant his car was home too, and he'd lent it to Andy to meet Sharon after work so the two could go ring shopping.

 _"Andy, I feel strange about going along with you to pick out a ring for me," Sharon explained as she sorted through her pile of paperwork on her desk. Andy had met her at work, and now that her day was over, the two were back in her office where she was finishing for the day, and he was waiting for her. They were going to get some dinner and pick out a ring for Sharon._

 _"Well, that's understandable," he nodded. "It's a good thing I know you so well and already bought you a ring," he grinned. Sharon looked up; she had been consumed with her stack of work, she hadn't noticed Andy had pulled out a ring box and was now kneeling on the floor next to her desk._

 _"Sharon," he said quietly, as he still had to be aware of her new identity, especially at work, "I thought a lot about how I wanted to do this. I know this isn't some romantic location, and even our story doesn't have some long, romantic tale to it, but it's us. We met at work, years ago, decades ago. I know I fell in love with you at work, working alongside you each and every day. We work better together, in any area of our lives, not just actual police work. It's been awful without you back home, but we have found another way to make this work. I love you with my whole heart, and while this isn't where we work together, it's your work now. I found you here in Ohio, and I never want to let you go. So, Sharon," he smiled up at her, "would you marry me."_

 _"You know," she smiled as she took a step closer and put her hand on Andy's arm, "that ring will help me a great deal. It's beautiful, by the way," she smiled warmly at Andy. "Somehow, we never talked about my ring, but you knew exactly what I would like. Emerald cut, simple, classic," she nodded. "Good job," she grinned. "That will help me because as Rusty has told you, I seem to have a problem. I seem to be attracting a lot of men here, and I don't like that."_

 _Andy let out a loud laugh and nodded his understanding, "So?"_

 _Sharon smiled down at him and nodded, "Yes, Andy, I would love to marry you. If I can't hide from you, which I apparently cannot," she smiled, "I'd best stick with you." She put her hand out for Andy, and he put the ring on her finger._

 _"Perfect," he grinned. "Just like you." Sharon blushed as she helped him stand. She put her hands on his face and pulled him in for a kiss._

 _"You didn't have to drive all the way here just to propose," she laughed._

 _"I did," he nodded. "We still need wedding bands."_

 _So, the two had left Sharon's office, a very happy couple and spent the rest of the evening enjoying dinner and their ring shopping. Andy had picked a simple, solid band, one he told Sharon he most definitely wanted, even if he'd have to keep it hidden most of the time. They had picked out a similar band for Sharon, but one that had diamonds nestled in it. It went well with her engagement ring._

So, now that it was Friday morning, they were finishing with the details. Rusty had just returned from the flower shop, where Sharon had allowed Andy the day before, to surprise her.

 _"You always have the best taste in flowers," she told him the first night after they had gotten ready for bed. "Even when we weren't dating, or I tried to convince myself of that, you always brought me flowers, sometimes just because," Sharon shrugged as she put lotion on her hands. "I am happy with anything you pick because I know you love me and will pick something you like, which means I'll like it too. I'm working all day tomorrow, so I trust you."_

 _"You trust me with your flowers?" he questioned as he sat back against the headboard to continue talking to her._

 _Sharon leaned over, "Andy, I trust you with my life, so yes, I trust you to pick out the flowers."_

Andy had picked out a bouquet of mixed flowers, and luckily, the florist had some lilies on hand to put in the bouquet. He and Rusty had agreed Sharon would love it, and Sharon had only wished she could have gotten a picture of the two men picking out bridal flowers. The flowers had just arrived, and Sharon was still racing around the house, hair done, makeup on, but not in her dress.

"Are you ready?" Sharon grinned at Andy as she walked into the kitchen and found him dressed, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Ready," he grinned. "While the robe is nice," he gestured to her, "it's not what I expected for your attire, Sharon."

"Go," she waved him off. "Take my car and head to the courthouse. I'm going to meet you there with Rusty. He's going to drive me."

Andy raised an eyebrow at Sharon, "You don't want to go with me? I mean, we are pledging our lives to each other Sharon," he chuckled.

"I want to surprise you," she grinned. "I've kept you away from the dress, and I want you to see it when I arrive. Becky, Kathy, and their husbands are going to meet us there. Go," she nudged. "I'm going to put on my dress, and we'll be there shortly."

Andy had followed Sharon's request without objection. He arrived to find all of Sharon's friends already there on the courthouse steps.

"Andy, it's so good to see you," Kathy told him as she came up to greet him. "We're so sorry to hear about your hospital stay."

"Yeah, thanks," he nodded. Sharon had not told their friends it was a work-related accident because that would have brought up more questions, just that Andy had developed a serious blood clot.

"So, what has your doctor said since?" Becky asked.

"I'm doing well," he nodded. "I'm on medical leave from work right now, which is why I was able to come here and surprise Sandra. I hate that I have to go back so soon, but our grandsons are in the Nutcracker next week, and I can't miss it. Work for Sandra is a mess, and well, after my medical issues, we didn't want to wait."

"Oh, that's so sweet. You called them 'our' grandkids," Kathy smiled. "I'm sure Sandra has met your children?"

"Oh yeah," Andy nodded as he smiled. "She loves them, and the feeling is mutual."

"Is she going to be able to travel back to California over the holidays?" Becky asked.

"No," Andy sighed. "With work, especially retail, it's tough this time of year. Our schedules are terrible, and really, or jobs are just so demanding."

"Sounds like we need to get you a job here, Andy," Mike patted him on the back. "Married, but living apart. That can't be fun, so we need to focus on getting you here."

"Yes, because we can't lose Sandra," Kathy smiled. "We enjoy her so much and are so happy for the two of you."

"Thank you," Andy nodded, but he paused when he saw Rusty pull up. "Ahh, they are here." He moved down the few courthouse steps to the street where he opened the door for Sharon. She had her winter coat over her dress, and he chuckled. "You're teasing me."

"I'm cold," she smiled brightly at him. "It is Ohio."

"Well, let's get you inside. I hear there's a wedding today," he winked as he offered her his arm. She smiled warmly as she took it. Rusty waved as he pulled away to park. The group all made its way up the stairs and in the building while they waited for Rusty.

Andy's phone rang before Rusty arrived, and Sharon looked to him with a questioning gaze. He dug it out, and he rolled his eyes. "Provenza," he said as he whispered to Sharon. "He keeps checking on me to make sure I'm alive. Just a sec," he raised his hand and stepped away.

"What!" Andy exclaimed when he answered the phone.

"While I'm driving to work, I wanted to see what your sorry self was doing today," Provenza told him.

"I'm busy. Appointment," he told Provenza.

"Hmm, well, some of us have to work for a living," Provenza explained.

"You don't say?" Andy questioned him. "Medical leave. Remember that? I'll be back to work soon enough. Why are you going in this late?" Andy asked as he glanced to his watch to confirm that it was after 8:00 on the West Coast.

"Late night, but we solved the case. I was calling to see if you want to come over for dinner. Patrice is making some vegetable thing. I figured I could give you my portion," he said.

"I lived with you for a few weeks, and you couldn't wait to get me out of your hair. I'm gone a few days, and you want me to come to dinner?" he asked.

"You need to eat, don't you?" Provenza asked. "Besides, I was going to wait, but we got engaged last night. That was part of the late case. We kept having to move dinner plans, but I finally asked."

"Oh, yeah?" Andy grinned as he turned back toward the group to make sure they weren't waiting on him. He noted Rusty hadn't arrived yet, and he nodded to Sharon he was trying to finish the call. "Congratulations. You got her to say yes, I take it."

"Of course, she said yes!" Provenza exclaimed. "Now, dinner, tonight?"

"I can't," Andy admitted. Provenza didn't know Andy was out of town, and he wasn't about to tell him. "Grandkids in Nutcracker over the next week. What about the end of next week?"

"You know how the ballet goes! In fact, you used to drag her with you. Are you really going to see it several times?" Provenza said, now irritated.

"I am, but I'll tell you what-I'll have you and Patrice over for dinner end of next week. Deal? I'll even get wine for her and beer for you."

"Now, that's a deal, Flynn. I'll be in touch with the day and time. I have to go. Some of us have to work," he said and hung up. Andy sighed as he shook his head. He rejoined Sharon.

"Everything okay?" she asked, still keeping her dress out of sight under her coat. He nodded, "Dinner plans next week, my work partner," he explained, knowing the rest of their friends were wondering about his call.

"Ahh," Sharon nodded. "Good."

Rusty joined the group, and they all started toward the judge's chambers where they would fill out the marriage license, and in less than an hour, would be married.


	36. Chapter 36

He'd royally messed up. Andy Flynn had done some stupid things in his life, but he'd slipped big time, and he knew he looked like a total jerk. He hadn't done anything to Sharon, no, that wasn't the problem. It's what he'd called her, or what it appeared like he'd called her.

 _"I take thee, Sharo-Sandra, for my wedded wife,"_ he replayed over in his head again and again. As he stood in the bathroom of their friends' home, he sighed and looked at himself. He's really messed up.

He was always so careful about getting Sharon's name correct when they were in public, always, at least until today. He'd been so caught in the moment, so deeply in love with Sharon, he'd gotten caught in the moment, and he'd said the wrong name. Now, it was her name, Sharon, but it wasn't her name. She and Rusty were living in this mess, witness protection, under new names, Sandra and Chris. He knew that. He'd gotten good at calling them by their names when in public. Except today, he'd messed up. Andy splashed water on his face and put his hands on the sink. He looked in the mirror and wanted to kick himself. He knew if Provenza had been there, that guy would have kicked him and called him an idiot many times over. At least, that name was well deserved right now.

What was worse is that now Sharon's friends, because let's face it after he called her by the wrong name, he wasn't sure any of them would be his friend, thought he was an awful person, a total jerk. He'd blanked when he'd said the wrong name, but Sharon had sprung into action. The panic was evident on her face, as was the gasp from their friends, but she jumped into action immediately. _"Andy, you ex,"_ she had said and given him a pleading look to get on board with her solution.

He'd looked to the floor and back up to Sharon and taken a deep breath. He then had looked to their friends and to Rusty who had the same panicked expression Sharon had, "I'm sorry," he sighed. "The medications I'm on make me a little out of sorts at times." He turned back to Sharon, and he looked her in the eye, "Sandra, I'm sorry. I just blanked." He turned back to the judge, a friend of these new friends, and he was sure that guy really hated him. "Judge, my apologies."

The judge, who probably because of his job, kept a stone face and turned to Sharon, "Sandra, do you plan to continue?" he'd asked her. At that moment, Andy wanted nothing more than to strangle the guy, but he knew that in any ordinary circumstances, it was a valid question. He wasn't sure he'd continue in a wedding ceremony if Sharon had called him Jack. To be fair, he was thinking of Sharon and only Sharon. That was the problem. He'd already had one wedding where he had to pledge his love to SANDRA, and he couldn't believe he had to do it again.

Sharon squeezed his hand and met his gaze. She gave a nod to Andy to make sure he was okay, and her panicked expression softened when she met his gaze. He closed his eyes and gave a nod, a sort of silent apology for the royal mess, and she looked to the judge.

 _"Yes,"_ she smiled brightly. _"I love this man with everything I have. I know he feels the same. We are ready to continue."_

The ceremony had continued, but Andy felt the tension in the air, the tension that now these new friends weren't sure about him, about his love for Sharon. It didn't help that their living situation looked odd to everyone, and he knew he had to do some damage control on that front too.

So, as he wiped off his face and tried to compose himself now at the house for their small reception, he looked down to his new, shiny ring. He liked it, and in fact, he loved seeing it. Yes, Sharon had been right; they did love each other with everything they had in their bodies. They would be okay. He'd just let it slip out, the wrong name for today, and it was going to take time to mend the fences.

"Andy, are you okay?" he heard a slight knock at the door. Rusty had come to check on him, mostly likely sent by Sharon.

"Ahh, yeah," he sighed. He opened the door to find Rusty there, very much worried, about Andy. He nodded toward the room, indicating he wanted Rusty to follow him into the bathroom a minute.

"This is odd," Rusty commented as Andy turned and shut the door. "Is this like one of those father-son bonding things? If it is, no, too weird for us."

"No!" Andy exclaimed. "Just how bad did I mess up?" he asked Rusty. This was the first moment the two had alone. Rusty had surprised Sharon and Andy with a friend of his, a photographer on the community college paper with him. He'd asked him to come take pictures, the one thing Andy and Sharon hadn't thought about, but Rusty had. Seth was his name, and Rusty had been happy he'd pulled off his surprised. The group had invited Seth to join them for lunch, and Rusty seemed grateful to have a friend there his own age. Now, they had all finished eating, and Andy was a nervous wreck in the bathroom. He hadn't had a moment alone with Sharon, and this was the first he was getting with Rusty.

"Oh," Rusty waved at him. "I'm sure they'll forget about it in a few years," he flashed a grin. "I have to hand it to you. Sharon and I have been here almost a year, and neither of us has slipped up in public like that."

"Gee, thanks," Andy said through gritted teeth. He sighed again, and he waved toward the door. "Let's go back out there. I can't shake the feeling everyone is staring at me."

"They are," Rusty said bluntly. "You called her the wrong name, at least that's what they think. You can't imagine that would go over well."

"Really? I hadn't thought they'd notice," Andy threw him a look. "You know," he said with his hand on the knob before he turned to open the door, "there are days I swear it's like Provenza is right here. You spent too much time with that guy back home."

The rest of the luncheon went as smoothly as it could. Andy and Rusty rejoined the party, and Sharon took his hand in hers when he returned. She knew he was a mess, and she also knew that the situation could easily be explained away, but they couldn't do that. She squeezed his hand when he sat down and leaned over and kissed his cheek. She could tell that helped to calm him slightly, and the two turned their attention back on their friends.

"So, any plans for this weekend before Andy has to disappear again?" Kathy asked, throwing a glance toward Andy. He was sure the group probably felt like he was leading a double life.

"Some," Andy nodded, as he squeezed Sharon's hand. "We are going to put the Christmas tree up at home, that is after Chris is done with his exam."

"Oh, let's not discuss that," Rusty groaned.

"I hate I have to go back to California, but work is work. I'm hoping to retire in a couple years. I can't just up and leave my job now, and Sandra is the same way. We both have too much time with our companies to make any sudden changes. It's brutal, but it's the way it is," he explained. Andy knew he had to start laying the foundation for his damage control, and he needed to give more of an explanation to their living situations.

"So, will your kids be upset you came all this way and got married without them here? Didn't you say you had four kids?" Beck asked.

Andy nodded, and he and Sharon smiled at each other. They both liked talking about the kids, but she knew Andy needed to take the lead. "They will be happy, very happy," he nodded. "Unfortunately, they live all over the country, and we barely see each other all at once as it is. Their work schedules are bad too, and in fact, my daughter, Nicole is the only one who lives anywhere near me. She will be delighted," Andy smiled at Sharon. Yes, he knew it was true that Nicole WOULD be delighted if they could tell her. He knew it couldn't happen now, but he hoped someday soon he and Sharon could tell her.

"Oh, she's the one with the kids, right?" Kathy smiled. "I've seen pictures of the boys at the house."

"Yes," Sharon took the lead, "the boys are adorable. I hate to miss them in the Nutcracker next week. They do love ballet," she grinned.

"I don't," Rusty added. "I, for one, am happy this year I don't have to see the ballet."

"Oh, so you've been?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah, I've seen them. I've seen my fair share of ballets. Kids are cute, but no thanks on the dancing thing," he made a face, and everyone started to laugh.

"I'm going to have to get going," Seth said as he stood. "I've got a date this afternoon. Congratulations," he nodded to Sharon and Andy. "I'll get the pictures to you as soon as I can."

Sharon stood, as did Andy behind her. "Seth, it was lovely to finally meet you," Sharon walked to him and gave him a quick hug. "Chris has told us so much about you. I know he enjoys working with you on the paper. Thank you for this today and for being such a good friend."

"Happy to help," he smiled. "It's always fun to photograph something new. I haven't taken wedding photos before, but I promise they'll be good."

"I have no doubt," Sharon nodded.

"Thanks, Seth," Andy nodded. "Come over sometime for dinner. I make a pretty good lasagna."

"Will do, Sir. I'll see you later, Chris. Nice to meet all of you," he waved to the room.

As Andy held Sharon's chair so she could sit, Becky asked, "Speaking of dates, where was your first date?"

Sharon turned to Andy with a wide smile, and he chuckled as he nodded to her. She nudged his side to speak first, "Well," he said, "that same daughter, Nicole, it was at her wedding. That would have technically been our first date, although, we've known each other for years."

"Really? A date to your daughter's wedding? That's an interesting first date," Becky added.

"I might have invited myself to that wedding," Sharon blushed as she shrugged. "I like weddings, and I also knew he was having a difficult time with Nicole's wedding. You know how families can be, so I offered to go as morale support."

"A buffer," Rusty nodded. "She called herself a buffer, but they weren't fooling anyone," he grinned.

Sharon shrugged, "We were friends. I knew Andy needed someone on his side at the wedding."

"She was a great help," Andy grinned at her as he patted her hand. He squeezed it and smiled at her when his fingers ran over her new rings. "From that point on, things went slowly, friends who enjoyed each other's company."

"Yes," Sharon nodded in agreement. "We would go to dinner a lot, often with Chris," she gestured to Rusty. "We went to a lot of events together, things one of us might need a date to attend. We both like sports, so we would get together to watch football and baseball."

"They like sports," Rusty clarified. "I don't."

"Yeah, but you'd always join us, knowing I'd make you a burger," Andy smirked.

"That's true," Rusty nodded. "For a vegetarian, you make a mean burger."

"Speaking of that," Andy turned to the group, "thank you for thinking of me with lunch. This was very, very kind." The group had served a nice luncheon for their friends. They had prepared a salad, baked ziti, homemade bread, and they had ordered a small cake that looked perfect for a wedding cake. They knew Andy and Sharon, or Sandra, liked Italian food, so they went with that as a theme.

"Oh, we were happy to do this," Becky nodded. Kathy nodded with her.

"We want the best for both of you," Kathy smiled.

"Thank you," Sharon nodded. They had all been at the house for a couple hours now. She looked to Rusty, and he seemed to get the hint.

"I need to get going. I have that final," he added.

He stood, and both Sharon and Andy stood when he did. "We are going to go too," Sharon smiled. "It's been a big day."

"Well, congratulations to you both," Mike nodded to them. "I'm guessing we won't see you in church this weekend?"

"We'll be there," Andy leaned forward and nodded to him. "We will see you there."

After a round of hugs and thanks, Sharon, Andy, and Rusty all started toward their cars. Rusty looked back to Sharon and Andy as they got to the driveway. "Sharon, your dress is really pretty."

Sharon looked down at her dress. Andy had her coat in his hand. She had on a floor length ivory gown with lace covering it. The arms worked perfectly with her cast, not something she had planned ahead of time, but thankfully, it had worked. The arms were tight to the elbow and flared from that point, giving enough for her cast.

"Thank you, Sweetheart," she said quietly as Andy turned back and waved to the couples inside the house. "Thank you for everything today. Good luck on your exam."

He nodded and looked back to them, "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" he nodded to Andy.

Andy returned the nod, "Tomorrow," he confirmed. "We can put up the tree this weekend."

Sharon turned to Andy, "Tomorrow? What are you two scheming now?"

Rusty started to laugh and waved to the two as he got into his car. "Enjoy your night, you two."

Sharon continued to look at Andy, and he met her gaze and shrugged. "You didn't think we'd just go home, did you? My lovely bride, we are heading to your favorite hotel in Cleveland."


	37. Chapter 37

Sharon stepped out of the car, as Andy held the door for her. She smiled up at him and then put her arms around his neck to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her, and the two stood at the car for a few moments, kissing, without a care in the world. They had gotten married; they were now husband and wife, for better or for worse, for the rest of their lives. When they broke apart, Sharon and Andy smiled at each other; no words were needed.

"Thank you for this surprise," Sharon told him quietly as she gestured toward the hotel. It was now into the evening, and they were just arriving at the hotel. They had left their small reception, gone home to pack, and they had gotten on the road. Andy had originally thought about packing for Sharon, but he knew it would be hard to hide the surprise, and he ultimately knew she'd prefer to pack her own things. Andy had most of his things already packed, as he was traveling in a suitcase, but while back at the house packing, Sharon had made a grand gesture for him too.

"I know you aren't here all the time; you aren't even here half the time, but I want you to feel at home. I want you to have some space here too to leave whatever you would like," she'd told him. She gestured to her dresser, "I have cleared out a few drawers there, and before you say anything, I still have the tall chest of drawers and plenty of room for my things. I want you to feel at home here; we're married," she smiled to him.

"Why, thank you," he'd kissed her head. "I'll definitely leave a few things here. I won't have so much to pack this way, and maybe I can get into just bringing a carry-on bag."

So, Sharon had packed while Andy had actually unpacked a few things, things he wouldn't need on their overnight trip to Cleveland. They had locked up the house and gotten on the road, their first trip as a married couple.

"Let's take this inside," Andy suggested, as he ran his hand up Sharon's arms while the two stood in the now, dark and cold parking lot. "You're cold, and I'd rather not spend our wedding night in the parking lot."

Sharon started laughing into his chest, as she patted it, "Oh, that sounds like some story from you and Provenza. We most definitely do not want to spend the night in the parking lot."

"Not when we have a wonderful hotel with a perfectly good room waiting for us," he nodded. "Let's go."

The two walked inside and went through the motions at the front desk to get their key. Sharon was wearing a dark purple knee-length sweater dress with her black boots, and Andy had kept his suit on from the wedding. He had removed the boutonnière that he and Rusty had picked out. Rusty had a matching one, and Andy's had an extra purple ribbon on it to differentiate him from Rusty, the same ribbon that had been on Sharon's flowers. He'd had Rusty as his best man, but really, Rusty had stood up for the two of them. Sharon hadn't specifically asked her friends to stand up for her; their friends had just stood around them for the small ceremony. Rusty had been their family, and he'd been one of their two witnesses. Kathy had been the other to sign the marriage license, and if Sharon had to admit, she was probably closer to her than anyone in town. Once they got their key, the two made their way to their room. They hadn't opted for any sort of valet because they just wanted to be themselves and alone. They held hands as they got to their room, each pulling their bag in their other hand. Once they were in their room, Sharon pulled Andy in for another kiss. They stood against the door kissing, and when they finally broke apart again, Andy just chuckled at Sharon.

"You're kind of into me, Raydor," he grinned as he continued to run his hands up and down her sides. They were still standing with Sharon against the wall where they had started kissing.

"Hmm, I only have eyes for my husband," she beamed as she said it. Her eyes sparkled as she draped her arms around Andy's neck.

Andy rested his arms around her waist, "Is that so? He's a very, very lucky guy, also a total genius to have snagged you. You really have an amazing husband."

Sharon started laughing and and she put her forehead on Andy's chest as she did so. "Hmm, well, your wife must be a saint to put up with you," she grinned.

"Are you hungry?"he asked trying to gauge her mood.

"Hmm, actually, I'm starving. I didn't eat much at lunch, not that the food was bad; I was just too excited to eat."

"I know the feeling," he ran his hands through her hair. "I was too nervous."

"Nervous?" Sharon pulled back and grinned at him. "Why were you nervous? We're married. No need to be nervous, and we've also done this," she gestured to the room.

"Oh,"he flashed a sheepish grin, "not nervous about that, but I guess just nervous because I was waiting for everyone to start in on me about saying the wrong name. Sharon, I am so very sorry about that."

Sharon pulled back and put her hands up on both sides of his face, "Stop," she told him. "Please do not apologize. While, yes, it was a slip of the tongue, you had no ill intentions. I understand you, Andy," she ran her thumbs on the side of his face. "I love you, and I am so very happy to be married to you."

Andy put his hands up on hers, "I just know it's now awkward. Your friends don't trust me. They are going to think I'm some slime with a double life and another family somewhere else," he sighed.

Sharon just shrugged, "It will be okay, and in a way, they are right. They just don't know I'm in on the double life and family somewhere else. It's our family we have stashed away, or some might say, you have me stashed away here. Everything will work out. I think I covered it well by discussing your medication. They will forget about it, and the more time they spend around you, it will not be an issue."

He nodded, and before he knew it, Sharon leaned up and kissed him sweetly on his lips. She pulled back, and he winked at her. "You're good at distracting me."

"I try," she chuckled.

"So, what would you like to do about dinner? I can't have my bride hungry."

"Let's check out what's in the area," Sharon suggested, and Andy nodded. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and Sharon went to get hers from her purse. "I know we've tried a couple restaurants in the area, but I'm open to a new place. Oh, my phone is still charging in the car," she shook her head as she realized it.

"I'll go get it," Andy nodded to her. "Stay here. Freshen up if you like. Do not," he looked up her up and down, "change out of that dress or change those boots. Your outfit is amazing. I'll be right back," he nodded to her as he kissed her cheek and nodded as he left the room. He moved quickly, as he was realizing just how hungry he was too and just how much he hated leaving Sharon, even if only for a few minutes. He took the elevator down, retrieved the phone, and as he was waiting on the elevator, he turned suddenly when he heard a voice he knew.

"Lieutenant?" he spun around when he heard his rank being called in a Cleveland hotel.

"Sykes? Cooper?"he said, surprised, as they walked up to him at the elevator. They each had a bag they were pulling, leaving no question they had checked in and were staying at the hotel. Andy patted his jacket pocket, glad Sharon's phone was tucked inside.

"Wow, this is crazy," Amy smiled. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still confined to your house, at least that's what the lieutenant has been telling us."

"Oh, well, I, umm,"he sighed as he shook his head. He looked down and then up to see both Amy and Cooper looking at him. "Listen, I am in town on a job interview," he said easily and quickly. He was thankful that idea had come to him so quickly, and he prayed the story played out easily.

"Wait, what? A job interview?" Amy asked.

Andy nodded as he shrugged, "Yeah, look please, not a word to anyone back home. I have a buddy who lives here, a guy I've known a long time. Let's face it, that I'm not getting any younger. My friend has a firm, private investigation. He invited me here on an interview. I'm not planning to uproot and move, but it was hard to turn down the trip, all expenses paid, nice hotel," he gestured. "So, I came. I'm not getting any younger, and it isn't a bad idea to check out other avenues."

"So, you're in Cleveland? You'd consider moving here?" Cooper asked.

"No," Andy shook his head, and thankfully, the elevator opened, and the three got on. "Ahh, his firm has locations around the country, all investigation. It's just based here. Why are you two here? Crazy to run into you here."

"Coop's family," Amy nodded toward Cooper, and he returned the nod to Andy.

"My aunt lives about an hour from here. She is my only family left. My dad died when I was young, and my mom died when I was 20. I grew up in Michigan, and she's here. I can't come for Christmas, so I'm here now, and naturally, I invited Amy to come along."

"Naturally?" Amy raised her eyebrow to him, giving him an odd look.

Andy chuckled as he looked to Cooper. Cooper shrugged, "I guess I mean that Detective Sykes happened to have the same days off work that I did, and I invited her along to see a different part of the United States she had not visited. If that trip happens to involve meeting the last member of my family, so be it."

Andy laughed even more, and he looked to Amy, "Sykes, it's okay to admit you are here to meet his aunt. I won't tell Provenza, and I'm begging you both, please not a word about this interview."

"Andy, your secret is safe with me. I get it. There are days I'm ready to do anything else, so my lips are sealed," Cooper nodded as the elevator stopped on Andy's floor. He was on seven, while Amy and Cooper were on nine.

"I won't say anything, either, Lieutenant," Amy nodded. "That would only cause Lieutenant Provenza to get even more irritated, and I'm really not in the mood for that."

Andy chuckled and tried to act calmly, "Well, you two have a good trip. Nice to see you."

"You too, Lieutenant," Amy nodded. "Quite a surprise, I must admit." Andy offered a small shrug.

"We just got off the plane and decided to enjoy a night here before spending the weekend with my aunt," Cooper told her. "Andy, take care, and good luck with the job decision."

"Yes," Amy nodded. "I can't imagine you not in the Murder Room."

Andy nodded, noting the elevator was trying to close, "A lot has changed in my life over the last year. The future might not be what I always envisioned. You two enjoy your trip," he offered a quick waved and then sighed as he turned to walk away. He heard the elevator doors close and stopped in the hall to take a quick breath. He'd run into friends from LA, not just any friends, two detectives. They were two GOOD detectives, and he'd run into them in Cleveland, while on his honeymoon with Sharon. He walked to the room quickly to let her know their plans for the evening would have to change.

"I think I found a couple good options for dinner," she smiled as he opened the door and walked into the room. She was on his phone looking at different options, and he shook his head at her.

"What's the matter?"she asked as she looked to him and noted his expression.

"Company," he told her. "We've got company, and there's no way we can risk leaving the hotel tonight."


	38. Chapter 38

"Did they see your wedding ring?" Sharon's eyes grew wide as Andy explained their "little" problem to her. He'd even started the conversation that way.

 _"There's no way we can risk leaving the hotel tonight. We've got a little problem,"_ he'd told her, almost in a panic as he'd entered the room. Sharon had been sitting in one of the nice arm chairs by the windows, where she had a beautiful view of the night skyline of Cleveland. When Andy had entered the room, she'd stood and smiled at him, ready to go to dinner. She'd reapplied her makeup and left her purple dress and knee-high black boots on, as he'd asked. Instantly, she knew something was wrong.

"I don't think they saw it," he shook his head as he held up his hand, almost to inspect. "I had the good sense to put my hand in my pocket as soon as I turned and saw just who was calling my name. Unbelievable," he grumbled.

Sharon shook her head and started to pace the room, "Andy, of all the people, all the places," she sighed. "Amy and Cooper are both fantastic detectives."

"Look," he stopped her from pacing by putting his hands lightly on her elbows as his eyes met hers, "I think we're good. I was rather impressed with myself; I thought quickly on my feet and came up with that story about a job interview." Andy had launched into his cover story with Amy as soon as he'd told Sharon he'd seen Amy and Cooper.

"Andy, you are a wonderful man, a superb detective, but your stories to cover your tracks are not always of the highest caliber. Need I remind you that you and Provenza get into an awful lot together," she said as she cringed at the idea her hidden identity lingered on a story Andy made up and told two detectives.

"Hey," he made a face at her as he pretended to take offense. "First," he held up a hand, "Provenza and I-all those stories are true. Can't make that stuff up," he shook his head. "Second, I really did come up with a good cover. I could be here on a job interview. I am on medical leave, and to them, who is to say that I'm not fed up with the medical issues and the idea of you being gone. It could happen."

Sharon pursed her lips as she tried not to laugh, "You're awfully cute when you are defensive," she grinned and let out a giggle. "No, seriously," she nodded as she composed herself, "do you think they will say anything?"

Andy shook his head, "No, I don't think so. They seemed satisfied with my story when I got off the elevator, and I was very careful with my ring."

Sharon made a face as she glanced at it, and then her eyes moved again to meet Andy's, "I think you need to take it off, at least until we head back to the house."

"I don't want to take it off," he grabbed hold of it with his other hand, almost as if he was hiding it from her.

Sharon covered her mouth to keep from laughing, "Andy, you sound like a child. Honey, you need to take that off while we are here in case you see them again."

He frowned, "We just got married, just a few hours ago. Do you know how crappy it feels to take my brand-new wedding ring off right now? I really don't want to do that."

"Well, what is your solution?" she crossed her arms as she looked to him. "You're convinced they bought your story, and I won't continue to argue that. I realize I wasn't there to see the interaction. The problem is we are hungry, and at some point, we will have to leave the room tomorrow."

"See," he shook a finger in the air, "that's part of my plan. We can spend all night and all morning here, only checking out at the last minute. Cooper's aunt lives near here, so they won't stay here forever."

"Yet, you intend to lock us up here, on our abbreviated honeymoon?" she raised an eyebrow to him.

"There are worse things," he grinned at her and leaned in to kiss her neck. She put her hand on his chest to stall him before he got any further, and she couldn't resist it.

"Stop," she said quietly, and when green eyes met brown, she smiled at him. "I can agree to staying in the room tonight and finding something to do," she looked beyond Andy toward the rest of the room and then back to him again, "but, I really am hungry. I would like something to eat. I had my mind set on a very romantic dinner with you tonight," she said as she brought her hand up to play with Andy's tie. He groaned and nodded to her.

Andy stepped away quickly and moved to the phone. "Room service," he said when he heard them answer. He turned back to Sharon to wink at her as he spoke, "Yes, could you send up some food? What kind of salad do you have? Yeah, that would be great, two of those. While you are at it, could you send a fruit tray for my blushing bride," he grinned at Sharon, and she made a face at him. "Champagne? Yes, she'd like that, just one glass for it, though. Thank you," he nodded and hung up. He turned back to Sharon, "I know you well enough that you barely eat, and if you are telling me you are hungry, I'm going to feed you. I'm just sorry we can't go enjoy a romantic dinner."

Sharon shrugged as she looked out the city lights, "Who said it's not going to be romantic?"

It took a half hour for room service to bring up their dinner, and Andy spent most of that time rubbing Sharon's feet. "Come on," he'd told her as he nodded for her to sit. "As much as it pains me to say it, go ahead and take off the boots. I'll rub your feet while we wait on our food. We can enjoy the city view and relax."

Sharon smiled brightly at him, "A man after my own heart."

"I thought I already got it," he grumbled and laughed when she smacked, teasingly, at his stomach. She pulled at his tie and leaned up to kiss him.

"You've most definitely stolen my heart, whether we are here or anywhere. I am a little worried about you seeing Amy and Cooper," she bit her lip as she told him.

"I know," he nodded. "I'm a little nervous about it too, which is one of the reasons I want you to sit and relax," he gestured again for her to sit. "Sit, relax, and let me take care of you. In the morning, we can order breakfast up here, and we'll have to find something to do until it's check out time."

"Maybe we can find a movie," she teased as her eyes sparkled at him. "Oh, I know," she nodded to him and continued, "maybe there will be a Badge of Justice re-run marathon."

"Oh, are you seriously going to bring that up?" he complained. "I really don't want to talk about that. It's bad enough I saw them on your DVR at the house."

Sharon shrugged, "It's one small way I can keep up with things at home. It is Mike's show, after all," she shrugged.

"It's not Mike's show!" he exclaimed as he removed one of Sharon's boots. He continued to gesture with his hand, while Sharon sat back with her arms back as she watched and listened. "Guy probably makes way too much money per episode, and we have to hear about it all the time. Badge, Badge, Badge," he grumbled. "The acting is terrible. I really can't believe you watch it."

"Rusty and I both enjoy it. Since the season started again, we've recorded everything, and they have replayed a lot of the old episodes. Pity," she batted her eyelashes at him, "I was hoping we could watch it together, snuggle in bed together at home."

Andy groaned as he shook his head, "I will do many things, Sharon, but I might have to draw the line there. It's like getting in bed with Mike," he complained.

Sharon burst out laughing as Andy removed her other boot and started working on her feet, "Getting in bed with Mike? Isn't that a little too, umm, what's the word? Dramatic?" she asked. "You're comparing your new wife to getting in bed with Mike?"

"NO!" he exclaimed. "I can't lie in bed with you and watch that stupid show, knowing Mike made most of the technical decisions. It's just too much for me. If I'm with you, I want to focus on you and not get irritated by Mike and his show."

"I thought you said it wasn't his show," Sharon smirked as she pointed that out to Andy.

He made a face at her and made a grand gesture of dropping her foot, "I thought you wanted your feet rubbed?"

"Point taken," she nudged her foot at him again, and she threw a fake smile his way. He rolled his eyes and continued with her foot. "So, basically, you don't want to yell at me, while in bed, because Mike's show has irritated you to no end."

"Yes! Precisely," Andy nodded.

"Mike's show," she chuckled. "Progress. You're accepting it as his show."

Andy mumbled to himself and looked away before Sharon started to laugh. When he looked back, she had her hand over her mouth and was laughing even harder. "I love you," she smiled at him.

"I love you too, you protected witness," he grinned.

Sharon let out a small chuckle and rolled her eyes, "I'm not the witness."

"Okay," he shrugged, "you hidden, mother of a protected witness."

"How have we digressed this far?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "The day started so well," she shook her head as she trailed off.

"Yeah, a stellar of a wedding day to the outside world," he sighed. "Your new husband said the wrong name at the wedding. Red flag. He ushered you off, not for a nice, long, romantic honeymoon, oh no, but for one night because he can't stay longer than that. Red flag. He's leaving you and the kid in a couple days and will be gone an indefinite amount of time. Red flag. He continued to allude to others about another life in California, a very mysterious life. Red flag. He, almost immediately, takes off his new wedding ring. Red flag. You, my beautiful new wife, won't change your last name. Red flag," he turned to Sharon. "Yeah, you've got a stellar new husband. Have your friends found out about his secret California life yet? I'm sure they think there is a hidden family somewhere. Oh, let's not forget that when he brings you to the hotel, again for one night, not a nice, long honeymoon, he won't let you leave the room, not because the two of you are otherwise engaged," he grinned, "but because you two can't be seen in public. Red flag and really, red flags everywhere. Yeah, Sharon, you snagged a winner."

Sharon's smile grew as Andy went through his argument, complaint by complaint. When he finished, she nodded, "You do make a very good case with several good points."

"And?" he asked as worked his way up her foot as he continued to massage it.

She shrugged, "I'm in love with a wonderful man, and I know the truth. I don't care what others say."

Andy eyed her, "That sounds like the exact line that is on every daytime talk show where they bring out the people with a hidden life. Your friends will hate me by Monday, if they don't already hate me now. Saying the wrong name," he grumbled again.

Sharon pulled her foot back and moved to climb across the bed to Andy. She leaned in closely and said, "I don't care, Andy. I love you. They probably wouldn't believe the truth if they heard it."

Sharon leaned in further and kissed Andy quickly. She grinned at him, then, and he reached for her and kissed her back. The two kissed for a few moments, but were interrupted by room service.

"Yes, finally, food!" Sharon said, rather loudly. She looked to Andy and found him frowning at her.

"To think I thought the honeymoon might be about enjoying each other," he shook his head as he walked to the door.

The rest of the night passed by without incident, which for the two of them, was a welcome occurrence. They spent time eating by the windows as they enjoyed the view. They talked and laughed, discussing their new status as a married couple.

"What do you think Provenza will say when he finally hears about this?" Sharon grinned as she asked Andy.

He shook his head at her, "He's not going to hear. I can't risk it. It's bad enough he knows what he does, Mike knows I have contact with you, and now Sykes and Cooper ran into me here. I won't tell Provenza."

"Andy," Sharon frowned, "I respect that, but I trust him completely. If you want to tell your best friend, I understand. I know you two don't keep things from one another."

"We keep this," he gestured to Sharon, "away from LA. We have to do that. Provenza can't know."

Sharon nodded, "One day, when this is all over, you will tell him. I can't wait to see his reaction."

Andy frowned, "I certainly hope that day comes. We may live like this the rest of our lives, Sharon."


	39. Chapter 39

The trip was everything they wanted it to be, well, if you consider being confined to your room only, as being highly romantic. Sharon and Andy returned home after enjoying a wonderful night and a spectacular morning before they snuck out of the hotel. Actually, Andy left through the front door, sans wedding ring, but he picked up Sharon on the side, near the fire escape entrance. They both laughed about how it looked, almost like he was ashamed to take her home.

"So, Mrs. Flynn," he flashed a smile at Sharon as he drove and continued, "oh, and by the way, I can call you that just like I can call you Sharon when I'm alone with you, what's the plan for the rest of the day? And, before you go any further, I'd like my ring back." It was now after lunch. The two had found a seafood restaurant for lunch, where they'd indulged on a blackened seafood platter they had split. They'd topped off their meal with one of the restaurant's homemade desserts.

"Well," Sharon said and paused as she smoothed out her dress for the day. Yes, it was Ohio, and it was cold, but she wanted to wear one of Andy's favorite dresses, a simple red, festive sweater-like dress again with her black boots. The material on the dress easy to get over her cast, which was still an annoyance to her. She handed Andy his ring, where he gladly slid it back onto his finger. "I was thinking we could put up the tree with Rusty, decorate the house," she shrugged.

Andy nodded, "Done. That's easy. I'll put up anything you like. I like the Cleveland Christmas ornament you found," he gestured toward her purse, where she had an ornament tucked in a bag. The two had found it on the short walk from their parking spot to the restaurant, as they window shopped. They wanted to mark their trip, their honeymoon, and with Sharon's sense of occasion, it seemed perfect.

"I like it too," she smiled. "After that, I'm afraid I have a somewhat boring task for us," she made a face and frowned.

"Okay," he nodded as he drew out his word. "What would that be? We don't have china or silver to organize from the wedding," he chuckled, commenting on the lack of gifts. Neither wanted or expected any; they had a simple wedding, the wedding they wanted.

"No" she shook her head. "We do, though, need to sit down and discuss finances. I know we have to live separate lives, but I would like to put all cards on the table so I can update things. The program made sure I had all new wills and such when they placed me. When it would come to that, it won't matter where I was; you'd still as my husband get everything I don't leave to the kids."

Andy just nodded, "Just the conversation I wanted to have with my new wife," he sighed. "Yeah, I get it."

"I know this isn't fun," she put her hand on his and offered a flat smile, "but you are leaving on Monday. I'd like to go through everything, and while we are at it, I'd like to pay for some of the trips here. What's mine is yours, and there is no reason that with us being married, I can't fund some of that. If we weren't in this situation I'd have a joint account with you, yes, even after Jack. He might have destroyed my trust, but I trust you completely."

Andy moved hands so his was on top of hers, and he squeezed it. "I'm happy to go over that with you. I just hate we have to spend the few days we have together doing that, but we'll do it today."

Sharon nodded, and the two continued their drive. By the time they arrived home, it was mid-afternoon, and they had planned to get a Christmas tree.

"I can't remember the last time I had a real tree," Sharon told Andy as they pulled into the driveway. "Work always made it impossible, but it will be nice to have one here. Rusty is excited."

"You're sure you are good with hauling it out of here after Christmas? I hate I won't be here to help you with it," he told her.

"I'm sure," she nodded. "Rusty will be a big help. I'll still have the cast, but I know he'll clear out the tree." As the two pulled in the driveway, Sharon stopped talking as she noticed lighting coming from the living room window. "What is all that?"

Andy looked as he parked the car and pursed his lips, "I'd say Rusty got a jump on getting the tree. I'd even say he took the liberty of putting on the lights."

Sharon smile grew even wider as they got out of the car. Andy helped her, mainly because he didn't want her to fall again and re-injure her already broken arm. They were almost to the back door when Rusty opened it.

"I saw you pull in," he smiled. "Surprise. I hope you like the tree. I had nothing to do, so" he shrugged.

"Thank you, Rusty," Sharon pulled him in for a hug as Andy held the door. Andy smiled at Rusty, the only confirmation needed that he'd done a good deed.

"I can get the bags from the car," he told Andy. Andy nodded, and once Sharon was inside, Rusty and Andy walked to the car to get everything. "Have a good time?"

"We did," Andy nodded. "We had a little snafu, if you may."

"Snafu? What happened?" Rusty asked.

"I ran into Sykes and Cooper at the hotel," Andy let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Thank goodness your mother was already in the room. I had to run back to the car to get her phone, and I saw them on the elevator."

"Sykes and Cooper, really?" Rusty's eyes grew wide as he digested what Andy was saying.

"Yup," Andy sighed as he rocked back on his heels. "Can't make this up."

"Wow," Rusty shook his head. "That's crazy. How did you deal with that?"

"Told them I was on a job interview. I must admit I came up with a good story on the fly. Your mother is worried it wasn't good enough, which I know, in the past, has been a concern, but this was a solid story. They were in town to visit Cooper's aunt. Like I said, can't make up this stuff."

The two men made their way into the house with bags in hand. They carried them to the master bedroom, where Andy heard Sharon in the bathroom. They left her alone and walked back to the living room, where Rusty had a mess. He had several bags from the store spread out on the floor and the few decorations Andy had brought, Rusty had sitting out, ready to put on the tree."

"Wow, this looks like quite the production," Andy told him. "Very impressive."

"I haven't done a lot of decorating. In years' past, I didn't feel like it was my house or my tree. Sharon always wanted me to help her, but it felt weird. It doesn't feel weird this year. Yeah, we're in a strange place, or at least a place that isn't home, but she's legally my mom, and with that, I guess I got an Andy too."

Andy grinned, and they both turned when they heard Sharon coming down the hall. "Much better," she grinned, as they all noted she had changed clothes. She now had on her loungewear that consisted of leggings and a long sweater.

"No dress and boots?" Andy frowned. Sharon burst out laughing as she shook her head. "So, that really means the honeymoon is over?" he teased.

"Most definitely," Sharon patted his chest as she leaned up to kiss him. "You can't complain about this look, though. You've told me you like it."

"I'm standing here!" Rusty exclaimed, as he covered his ears. Andy and Sharon, who were only inches apart, grinned at each other. Andy kissed her quickly and patted her backside as he moved by her.

"I'm going to change too," he nodded. He had on jeans and a simple dress shirt. Sharon eyed him as he walked away from her. "What? I can't get comfortable too, now in my own home?" he winked. Sharon's bright smile told him he'd used the right word to describe the setting.

The three of them spent the next hour decorating the tree and the interior of the house. Andy told Sharon he and Rusty would hang lights outside after church before he had to leave on Monday. Rusty surprised them with dinner, a vegetarian casserole Andy had made for them before. By the time they had finished eating, the table was silent, but Sharon was smiling.

"This is one of the best days I've had here," she looked to the two men who had made her extremely happy for different reasons. "Thank you both. I know the situation is not perfect, but I'm happy."

Rusty, who was trying to break the tension and trying to keep Sharon from crying, said, "Well, I think the reason it's been so awesome is that red cast. It's very festive, Sharon. I'd like to think I helped with your sense of occasion suggesting the red." It did the trick; they all started to laugh, and Rusty jumped up. "I'll clear dinner."

"Not needed," Andy shook his head. "You cooked. I can clean."

"I know you CAN," Rusty said, "but consider it my gift today. You and Sharon only get so much time before you leave. Just promise me at least a game of chess tonight."

"Done," Andy nodded. "Easy."

While Rusty cleaned up, Sharon started to dig out her financials, as they explained to Rusty what they were going to discuss for the evening.

"You don't like need me here to hear all this, do you?" he asked with a grimace on his face.

"No, not at all," Sharon smiled. "The important thing for you to know is that should anything happen, anything at all, you need to contact Andy. Use the burner phone I have, but he will need to be contacted. In the eyes of the law, medically speaking, he would be the one to make any decisions. I have paperwork for you too; the program did that when we moved here, but I don't want that all on you. You call Andy."

"Same is true for Sharon," Andy nodded to Rusty. "Provenza is able to make decisions, why still, I don't know. Guy wants to kill me," Andy grumbled, "but, Provenza knows to call your mom too. Now, he isn't going to hear about the wedding, but if that time ever comes, he'll be told."

Rusty grinned, "So, I could like tell Provenza myself if he calls?"

"Rusty, let's not get excited about Andy being potentially hurt," Sharon pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm getting a little worried I should be wary of you while I sleep, Rusty," Andy commented. The three laughed, and then Andy joined Sharon on the couch to look at everything she'd put in front of him. "I'll bring some of my specifics next visit, but I can pretty much tell you everything. My checkbook is here," he flipped onto the table. Sharon eyed him as she picked it up.

"Andy, there's nothing in it," she complained.

He shrugged, "Online banking. What? You still keep a checkbook?"

"Of course! You can't rely on online banking only. It takes time for things to clear. Really?" she looked irritated.

"Hey, it's gotten me this far," he nodded to her. "Plus, we aren't living together."

"Already sounding like a winner of a marriage, Andy!" Rusty yelled from the kitchen where he could still hear most of their conversation. "In case you are wondering, yes, Sharon convinced me it was a good idea to do a checkbook too."

Andy threw a grin at Sharon as he shook his head, "So, you'd be really happy if you saw figures written in here next visit?"

"Hmm, very happy," she flashed a smile. "Now, here's mine," she handed him her checkbook. He flipped it open and then looked to her.

"Savings account?" he asked.

"Checking," she told him. "Why?"

"You have this much in your checking?" he sighed.

Sharon tried to hide her smile, "I do. I wanted to make sure you didn't marry me for my money."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding!" Andy tossed it on the table.

"Actually, I am," she reached over and wrapped her good arm around him. "No, I normally don't have that much in my checking account. Rusty's tuition is coming due, and I moved it out savings so I can pay the bill online. That's all."

"Okay, well, you had me a bit worried, Sharon. My expectations of an appropriate amount in an account are different than yours," he said.

Sharon pulled another paper off the table, "This is my budget spreadsheet. I know you do something similar. I've seen it before at your house."

He nodded as he looked at it, "That's how much you make?" he asked, pointing to her starting figure. He turned to her, a completely shocked expression on his face.

"Yes?" she questioned. "It is okay for the wife to make more than the husband, Andy. I didn't think we'd have to discuss that."

"Well, no offense, but you work at a department store," he explained.

Sharon glared at him as she pulled back, "For your information, the program matched my salary from California. That's my captain salary. They provide a modest housing budget for this area, but I was not agreeing to anything until my salary could be matched. It was all part of the deal."

"I see," he nodded. "Always making a deal. I'm fine you make more than me. That's not the issue, but thank you for explaining it, Captain."

Rusty walked out of the kitchen shaking his head, "You two really are dull, like an old married couple already."

"Rusty, you will understand this at some point. It's important. We share, and it would be much easier if we shared the same home. Everything would be combined, but we don't. We do need to create almost a joint household budget or at least know where money is going for retirement."

"Yeah, because unlike Provenza, I do plan to retire one of these days," Andy flashed a grin at Rusty. "Plus, a budget ensures you go to the college you want. I saw the price for Miami. Any word on that?"

"No," Rusty frowned. "They said by Christmas, so I still have a couple weeks. I'm getting anxious, and I guess I should then thank you both for paying for everything now."

"Rusty, we wouldn't have it any other way," Sharon smiled at him as she took Andy's hand. Andy nodded at Rusty and then smiled at Sharon. He appreciated the inclusion in the "we" comment about paying for college. Sharon was right; they were going to find a way to juggle costs together.

"Well, I'm going to join some friends from school if you don't need me here," he told them.

"Oh, yeah?" Andy asked. "What, going to the movies tonight?"

Rusty frowned again, "They mentioned ice skating. I'm not sure I ice skate. It doesn't sound fun to me, but I said I'd check it out. You guys enjoy the evening."

"Thank you, Rusty," Sharon smiled as Rusty walked to his room quickly. When he was out of the room, Sharon turned back to Andy.

"I don't mean to be a party pooper," he grinned, "but this is a honeymoon killer," he nodded to the paperwork. He leaned in closer, "What do you say we table this after the kid leaves?"

"I'd say, Andy Flynn," Sharon smiled as she turned and put her arms around his neck, "we have very little time with you still here, and I plan to enjoy it."


	40. Chapter 40

Andy worked at his desk, his keystrokes on his computer keyboard echoing in the room. The office was quiet, too quiet, and he was a bit irritated he'd rushed to work only to learn the team had an 11:00 report time. They had been busy with a case and had forgotten to tell him that small detail. They'd probably also forgotten that he was due back to work today. It was January 1, the start of a brand-new year, and Andy was sitting alone at the office. It looked sort of pitiful, really, Andy working alone, but it was what it was. The team was on a sort of skeleton crew anyway with it being a holiday. He didn't expect to see everyone, but it would have been helpful to know he could have taken his time on his way into work. He could have even called Sharon to wish her a Happy New Year.

Yes, they were calling each other more than they probably should, but he couldn't help it. He loved her; she was his wife after all, but they were trying to keep things as simple as they could. They'd agreed to once a week since he'd left two weeks ago, but they had "excused" that with the holidays. Sure, they'd called once a week, but he'd also called her to tell her he'd gotten back to LA okay, then later to tell her about the boys in the Nutcracker, which did brighten her mood, and then of course, they'd spoken on Christmas, and just last night, the two had talked from each of their living rooms to ring in the New Year. He'd decided the one good thing about Sharon being on Eastern Standard Time was that he could ring in the year three hours earlier, go to bed at a reasonable time, and he could still get credit for celebrating. This morning, it took everything in his power not to call her, even though he'd spoken to her just last night, but he'd told himself that he couldn't be late on his first day back at work. Now, he was kicking himself for that.

The one good thing, Andy had decided, about his quiet morning was that he'd gotten some work done and forms updated that he had needed to do. He'd dropped off his medical clearance paperwork to the lone person in that department. Yes, he knew that it was a holiday, but the LAPD didn't stop for any holiday. Crimes were committed 365 days of the year. Andy had then returned to his computer where he was very thankful he could update a lot of his benefit information online. It looked so odd to him to list Sharon, but as a different person. He wanted to pat himself on the back for at least typing in her correct name there, as he was still irritated he'd said the wrong name when they had gotten married. Andy checked and rechecked the benefit information. He didn't put in Sharon's phone number or real contact information. No, he couldn't do that, so he just listed all his information there, address, phone, etc., knowing that if something ever were to happen to him, not even the federal government would be able to keep Sharon away.

With that done, he pulled up the recent cases the team had been working on and found that they'd closed three and still had one pending. It looked like the case was just awaiting something from Andrea's office, so he nodded to himself, glad that the team wasn't stuck in the middle of a case. A new year. New cases, and hopefully, before the year was out, Sharon would be back home with him where she belonged. He turned his chair to glance at her office. He rarely did anymore, which was odd considering it was behind his chair. Davis had been in and out of it on occasion, each time greeted with glares from the team. Andy realized it was quite ridiculous that the team was treating Sharon's office as almost a shrine, but no one wanted to touch anything, to acknowledge that Sharon may never be back. So, it had become an unwritten rule to not speak of it, not go in it, and to almost dare anyone else in authority to set food in the office. Davis had risen to that challenge and on occasion she had to help with a case, she had no problem using the office. It did belong to the person in charge, and she was always glad to point that finger to herself.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant," Andy heard and glanced up to see Julio heading toward his desk. Julio had his arms full with what appeared to be piles of food.

"Hey, Julio," Andy grinned. "Good to see you. It's been awhile."

"I'm well aware, Sir," Julio grinned. "The lieutenant has been extra grouchy since you've been gone, no one to irritate, although he's not aware he's irritated the rest of us plenty."

Andy chuckled as he nodded, "I can imagine. Where is the old goat anyway? I expected him to be here with a brand new 2016 crossword puzzle. Oh, and Happy New Year by the way."

"Same to you," Julio adjusted his suit coat on the back of his chair and sat down at his desk. My mother made a ton of food. She's been cooking the entire holiday season. Today, she hated that I had to work, but she sent with me all this food. I know some of it is vegetarian, or at least doesn't have meat, so when you get hungry, help yourself. I probably should go and put it up in the refrigerator."

"Thanks," Andy nodded. "Your mother always makes amazing food. I'll probably take you up on that in a couple hours." Julio nodded as he stood again and collected all the food. He gave a quick nod to Andy to indicated he'd be back after he dropped off the food. Andy glanced back to his computer to try and recall where he was in his reading of their last case. As he moved to type in something, he almost jumped out of his seat. He had his wedding ring on. He quickly removed it and shoved it into his suit coat inside pocket. He had gotten used to wearing it, and he'd been really careful to take it off when Nicole had been around over the holidays. Nicole had been out of town since the day after Christmas, so he'd put it back on. He'd even had it on at his last doctor's appointment, just three days ago. His doctor had commented on it, and Andy had shrugged that he had a complicated marriage with an old friend. His doctor had just nodded because a few weeks prior Andy had asked him about any limits to his extracurricular activities, and the doctor had given him a look, but told Andy that he was now cleared for anything he could tolerate. That conversation coupled with the ring, and the doctor just seemed to accept it; he'd not commented any further, and that had been that. Now, Andy panicked, wondering if Julio had noticed. The guy hadn't been in the room more than a minute, during which time he'd been busy at his desk. He'd barely looked in Andy's direction, and even then, there were other desk obstacles in the way. Andy decided he had avoided a potential disaster and told himself that as painful as it was, the ring would have to stay somewhere safe, somewhere other than his hand.

"Ahh, Flynn, you're finally back from your vacation," Provenza greeted him as he walked in. Julio followed him and grinned at Andy as he shook his head.

"Yeah, well, if you are wanting a vacation, I highly suggest getting thrown from a moving car. It might give you that time off you want. Patrice would just love that, to use her nursing skills on you," Andy smirked.

"You were quiet over the holidays. What have you been doing?" Provenza asked as he shrugged out of his suit jacket, hung it over his chair, and plopped down. He pulled a candy bar out of his jacket pocket and sat back in his chair to eat it.

"I spent a lot of time with Nicole. The boys were in the Nutcracker. I went to that a few times, and as much as you'd like to think it was a vacation, I did see my doctor several times," he admitted.

"Is she hot?" Julio grinned. "If you have a hot doctor, you could almost tell people you were seeing a doctor," he grinned.

Andy chuckled, "No, not my type at all. You know my type," he admitted. The room got quiet as that sat with the guys. They all seemed to trail off as they thought of Sharon. When Andy snapped out of it and looked back to them, both Provenza and Julio were looking to Sharon's office. "Well, now that I've depressed everyone," he clapped his hands together, "Provenza, I'll just start with the obvious. Why are you eating a candy bar now at barely 11:00?"

"Because," Provenza shrugged and continued, "it's January 1st."

"And?" Andy asked.

"It's my thing, my tradition. I started it years ago when I was working a case overnight into January 1st. I stopped at a gas station to get something to eat because I was starving. They had nothing, just candy bars. It stuck. So, I don't do resolutions; you should all know that. I do like traditions, especially my candy bar one. I eat one every January 1st."

"Sir, that's kind of odd," Julio added.

"Does your family make a lot of food for New Year's Day, Julio?" Provenza asked.

"Yeah, but," Julio stopped as he thought.

"There, proves my point-food traditions on New Year's Day. I don't cook; this is my tradition."

"Sir, what is Patrice doing today? Isn't she going to cook a nice meal for you when you get home?" Julio grinned.

"No, she went to visit her granddaughter, the one we arrested. She won't be home until late, so Flynn, you're coming with me for dinner," Provenza told Andy. Andy looked up from his computer where he really had been trying to study the case write-up.

"I'm perfectly fine to go home. I've got everything I need to make a nice salad," Andy told him.

"Fine, we can eat at your house," Provenza nodded. "I'll just order a pizza from there."

Andy rolled his eyes, as he let out a sigh, "Great, can't wait for my evening plans."

Provenza and Andy had to cancel their plans, or rather, Provenza announced to Andy that he wouldn't be stopping by for dinner that evening.

"Flynn, just got off the phone with Patrice. Her granddaughter only wanted to speak to her for 15 minutes, so she's coming home much earlier than she planned. I'll have to take a raincheck on dinner."

"Raincheck?" Andy asked. "I never invited you over to my place. YOU invited yourself, so no love loss here," he grumbled. Andy knew Provenza would be over at some point, the guy always was, so that was why almost 10 days later, he wasn't surprised when Provenza knocked on his door after a light day at the office.

"I'm here for dinner," Provenza told Andy, as he pushed by him and walked into Andy's house. Andy rolled his eyes and sighed, as he locked the door and followed Provenza back into the house clad in his sweatpants and a Miami shirt.

"I've already had my dinner, or at least, I'm almost finished with it," Andy indicated to his recliner where he had a bowl of soup and a large salad. "You're welcome to soup. There's still some on the stove. Did Patrice kick you out? You rarely show up here for food anymore."

"No, some girls' night thing," he waved as he walked toward the kitchen. "What kind of soup?"

"Potato," Andy called back to him. "It sounded good for a cold night."

Provenza was silent while he dished out his food and returned to the couch with it. "No rolls?"

Andy made a face, "I'm not a restaurant. I don't like bread in my soup. I've got crackers," he nodded to the coffee table. Provenza made a face, but he did grab the crackers for his soup. "What are we watching?"

"Just something on World War II, some documentary," Andy explained.

Provenza eyed him, "That sounds horribly depressing. No sports?"

"Not tonight, and you know I'm not a basketball fan. Season is way too long, and it just cuts into football on one end and baseball on the other," Andy told him. Provenza nodded and started to eat his soup. The men were silent for a few moments as they ate and watched the television. When a commercial came on, Provenza eyed Andy.

"Miami? When did you go to Florida?" he asked.

Andy looked down at his t-shirt, his souvenir from Rusty's campus visit. He had almost bought another t-shirt that had Ohio written under Miami, but Sharon had pointed out that it might be better if he was set on getting a shirt, that if he bought one that simply said Miami. Now, here, he was understanding she was right.

"Ahh, I haven't," he admitted. "Nicole was there not long ago for business. She brought it back for me, some promotional thing," he easily explained. Andy wanted to tell Sharon just how good he had gotten at small 'fibs' in his life. Provenza continued to look at Andy, and then he didn't say anything, but turned back to the show when it returned to the television.

"I'm dealing with all this wedding junk," Provenza told Andy, and Andy froze, trying to figure out how Provenza would know he'd gotten married. He looked to him, and it suddenly clicked that Provenza was talking about this own upcoming wedding.

"Patrice having cold feet?" Andy grinned.

"No! I want to have a big wedding, whatever she wants. Big wedding, big party, everything. She doesn't want any of it," he grumbled.

"What does she want?" Andy asked as he sat back after finishing his dinner.

"Nothing, well, I mean, she wants to get married, but she said she'd be perfectly happy to go to city hall and take care of it there. The idea, city hall," Provenza continued to grumble as he rolled his eyes. "Why would anyone think that is ever a good idea?"

Andy held back a grin, if only Provenza knew. "Well, it's not THAT bad, Provenza. Come on, you've had the big wedding more times than I can count. Maybe here's an idea, let your future wife have what she wants?" Andy shrugged.

"Well, I want to give her a big wedding! She deserves that, even more. She just wants to go over lunch and get married. Where's the romantic gesture in that?" he complained.

Andy chuckled, "Ahh, Provenza, always the closet romantic. If that is what she wants, just do it. It will be done, and you'll be married. There's something nice about that."

"What would you know? You've been divorced for years. You know that if you had the chance with the captain, you'd want some big affair too. You'd want to scream it from the rooftops."

"Yeah, well, sometimes life surprises you," Andy said as he stood to collect his plates. He gestured for Provenza's empty bowl too, as he always cleaned up after Provenza.

"I know her, and she'd be all over something big. The captain is just like most women when it comes to stuff like that, she likes to go all out. I think if I keep trying, I'll get Patrice on board. I found a few venues for the reception, and I'm going to sit down with her this weekend to convince her. You'll see; she'll come around."

"If you say so," Andy yelled back to him from the kitchen. Andy was washing the dishes when his phone rang, not his regular cell phone, but his burner phone. He moved it around the house as he talked to Sharon, and it was currently in the kitchen drawer. Provenza looked toward the kitchen when he heard the phone, and Andy moved quickly to answer it. Provenza knew about the phone, yes, but he didn't know how often it was being used.

"Hello," Andy said, trying to hopefully indicate to Sharon he had company. He'd normally greeted her with a 'Hello, Sweetheart,' type of comment. "Yeah," he said as he nodded, trying to get off the phone. He didn't need an interrogation from Provenza, and yet, he wanted to talk to Sharon. "He did? That's great. Yeah, I know he was waiting to hear. Correct. Yeah, me too. Bye," he said and hung up. He walked back and sunk into his chair again as he pretended to stare at the television.

"And? Are we going to talk about that?" Provenza gestured to the kitchen. Andy pretended to look confused.

"Ahh, nothing to discuss," he shrugged.

"That's the biggest load of garbage I've heard today, Flynn, and that's say a lot considering I had to sit in a meeting with Taylor AND Davis today. How often are you talking to her?" he almost yelled at Andy.

Andy wouldn't look at Provenza, but he just shrugged, "Not all the time."

"That's not what I asked. Do you realize just how much danger you could be putting her in if you keep this up?" he gestured. "Flynn, don't be an idiot."

"Hey! We are very careful. I love her. You know that. I don't talk to her too much," he admitted. "She just needed to tell me something. It's good," he grinned. Andy really would have enjoyed telling Provenza that Rusty had finally heard from Miami, and that he had gotten in as a transfer student. He would start in August, and now that Andy knew that was happening, he planned to put in for some leave in May to see Rusty graduate with his associate's degree and then in August to help him move in. He and Sharon had discussed that, and she'd told him it wasn't necessary to do both things, but he'd told her he wanted to be there. He was going to use his August trip to go and visit Emily after as well. She had a show that would be underway, and he had been hoping everything would work out. It finally was.

"Flynn! Stop daydreaming about her. You've got that giddy smile on your face. How long do you two plan to keep this charade up?"

"It's not a charade! You should know that. She risked everything to come see me in the hospital. That should tell you that she loves me too," Andy told him. Sharon had, indeed just told Andy that she loved him when she was ending their phone call. With his short answers after she'd told him the good news about Rusty, she'd asked him if someone was there.

 _"Is Provenza with you at the house?" she had asked._

 _"Correct," Andy had nodded from his end._

 _"Ahh, I see. I'm sorry; I thought you would be alone. I love you," she had told him._

 _"Yeah, me too," he'd nodded._

 _"Have a good week, and I'll talk to you sometime soon. Be safe and be kind-to Provenza. Bye," she'd told him._

 _"Bye," he'd answered simply as he put the phone away and walked back to the living room._

Andy had drifted off, but he realized that Provenza was on a rant about his relationship with Sharon. "I'm not stupid! I can see that the captain loves you, but how and why she loves you, I'll never understand. How long do you two plan to torture yourselves? You can't be together. It's terrible, yes, but any other scenario ends badly with a psychotic serial killer at the door," Provenza pointed out to Andy.

"Can we drop it? I'm not discussing this right now. You protect those you love, and you will do anything for them," Andy said.

"So, you're willing to go on like this possibly the rest of your life?" Provenza asked.

"Wouldn't you for Patrice?" Andy asked, and the room lapsed into silence.


	41. Chapter 41

It was now early February, and Sharon was missing Andy. She was tired of snow and cold, desperate for her usual Southern California weather, and even if winter in Southern California was cold, it wasn't Ohio cold. Rusty was grumbling his way through his last semester of classes before he finished with his Associate of Arts degree. He wasn't enjoying his classes as much this semester; his classes were not as exciting, and he was so focused on transferring, he just wanted to be done. Sharon had mixed feelings about all of it. She was thrilled for Rusty, but she knew that he would leave, and he'd leave her alone.

Sharon realized just how alone she was feeling as she sat at a church luncheon this first weekend in February. The service had been very nice, and as a treat before Valentine's Day, the youth of the congregation were serving a luncheon. She and her friends often went out to lunch together after church, and today, they had opted to stay for the luncheon. As Sharon sat at the table and looked to her friends, she missed Andy more and more. She couldn't help but just sit and stare at her ring, something she could wear, but she knew Andy couldn't.

"Earth to Sandra," Becky called to her. Sharon snapped her head up and smiled across the table at Becky and her husband, Mike.

"Sorry," she said as she offered a kind smile. "I think I missed whatever you were asking me."

"I was asking when you are going to do something about that husband of yours. You keep staring at that ring, but where is he? You two got married in December, and it's been now two months, and we haven't seen him. You haven't gone to see him either. Sandra, we're worried about you," she offered her sympathetic face to Sharon.

Sharon just shook her head, "We're doing just fine," she smiled again, trying to convince everyone of that. "Work has been terrible for both of us. He's had family issues with the kids, and Chris and I aren't exactly sitting around here. Hopefully, he can visit soon."

"Visit," Kathy nodded. "Sandra, that's not healthy for a spouse to visit. Really, we are worried. You say you know him, but do you? I mean, we hate to ask, but he doesn't have some hidden family, or you aren't that hidden family, are you?"

Sharon chuckled slightly as she smiled and shook her head, "No, there's no hidden family. I promise. This time of year, around the holidays, is extremely busy for me. You know that. You all barely saw me, and I do live right here. He's busy too. Private security never ends, and with all the kids, well, they are wonderful, but demanding too, as we are all aware," she grinned as she glanced across the room to Rusty who was talking to a couple friends of his from school. "We're hoping to take a trip for Chris' spring break, maybe to Florida. We haven't figured out all the plans, yet, but it's a possibility," she offered them.

"Your work load has lightened," Becky offered. "Why don't you go see him? Plus, you two are keeping two homes still when you're married?"

"Married life doesn't look the same for everyone," Sharon shrugged. "He can't walk away from his job, not this close to retirement, and I can't either for many of the same reasons. He's already coming in May when Chris graduates, and he put in for time off for August to help get Chris moved into the dorm. We talk, and for now, this is what we can do. We're so happy to be married, and I hope all of you understand that."

"So, go see him," Becky encouraged.

"He travels a lot for work. I've told you that. I know you are worried, but trust me when I say things are just fine," she nodded.

Her friends glanced to each other and then back to Sharon, "Sandra, you are a newlywed, and things should be better than just fine," Kathy said as she gave her a look.

Sharon's cheeks turned red, "We're very much in love. I know you mean well, but he travels, and I work a lot. We have five kids between us, and life is a mess. It will get better," she nodded.

"Sandra, we don't mean to meddle, but we are worried. He did have that slip at your wedding," Becky nodded.

"I told you that was related to medication," Sharon nodded to them. "Everything is fine."

"Everything is fine about what?" Rusty asked as he walked up behind Sharon with a piece of cake from the luncheon. "I was coming here to tell you they had dessert out, and I'll get you a piece of cheesecake if you like."

Sharon smiled up at Rusty as he looked to her, "See, my Valentine's date knows exactly what I'd like. They are just concerned because Andy doesn't live here with us and can't be here as often as he would like." Sharon eyed Rusty hoping to get across that she needed his help on this.

"Oh," Rusty shrugged as he looked at her friends. "Andy just works a lot. Mom does too," he shrugged again. "They are planning some trip for us for spring break," he nodded, "and, he's coming in May and August too."

"When are you going to visit your step-father, Chris? He always comes here," Kathy asked.

Rusty grimaced, "Yeah, not a huge fan of traveling," he tried to explain. "Plus, I mean, who doesn't love Ohio?" he grinned. Sharon rolled her eyes, as she shook her head.

"Chris, I think they know you aren't in love with Ohio," Sharon chuckled.

"True, but Andy works so much, that we'd barely see him. It's cheaper for him to come here alone too," Rusty grinned, happy with the reasoning he'd come up with off the top of his head.

"So how long have you known Andy, Chris? You seem comfortable with him?" Mike, Becky's husband asked.

"Oh," Rusty thought a moment, "since I was 15," he nodded. "Yeah, 15."

Sharon nodded too, and Mike asked another question. "Do you get along with his kids? I assume you've met them all, what four of them?"

Rusty grinned as he looked to Sharon, "Yeah, I do. I know some better than others," he grinned. "I have been around Nicole the most, but I'm closest to Ricky," he grinned. "Yeah, we've got the brotherly bond."

Sharon smiled brightly. Yes, while things had been rocky between Ricky and Rusty the summer before the adoption, Ricky had come on board rather quickly. He'd done better with Rusty joining the family than Emily had. She was still worried about Jack, worried that while Sharon should move on from him, that Jack wouldn't have anyone. She didn't blame Rusty for the divorce, but Sharon knew it was hard to see change in her life. She knew that Emily would have a harder time with her marrying Andy than Ricky would too, that is, at least Sharon was hoping that she'd one day have the opportunity to tell her kids about her new husband. That all depended on their future in witness protection.

"Well, that's good to hear," Becky smiled at Rusty. "So, do they have a lot of dessert options?"

"Umm, mainly this cake or cheesecake," he nodded. "I'll bring some for the table," he nodded to them and disappeared. When he left, Sharon turned back to the group.

"I appreciate your concern, I do," she smiled. "I wish Andy was here all the time, and I do hope that you will see that we are very happy the next time he's home," she said, making a very clear effort to call Ohio home. It didn't feel exactly like home, but her friends were concerned and with good reason. She had thought about it before, and she appreciated their concern, but she couldn't explain the truth.

They all nodded, "Please tell your husband we've been asking about him and expect him to not be a stranger around here. I know you gave up a few things in the church when you married him at city hall and have said you are okay with that, but we just worry."

"I know," Sharon smiled warmly again. She didn't get to say anything more because Rusty returned, this time with a tray of desserts."

"One benefit to still looking you," he grinned to the group, "I was able to just walk away with a tray of food. I think they thought I was a server. Anyway, help yourself," he gestured to the food. It took some discussion, but everyone settled on their dessert, and Rusty sat down next to Sharon, and soon, everyone had moved from discussing Andy to eating their dessert.

Sharon's phone alerted her and everyone at the table to a call. Rusty glanced at her as she answered. Sharon frowned, "It's work." She stood and nodded to excuse herself as she took her call. When she returned to the table, she frowned. "I'm so sorry, but I've been called into work. One of my associates is going home sick, and well, the stomach bug seems to have hit several departments, including mine, hard. I have to go," she said as she collected her things. Rusty started to get up as well.

"We can drop you off at home, Chris," Becky smiled to him. "It's no trouble, and that way your mom can get going."

"Oh, are you sure?" he asked as he glanced to Sharon. She just shrugged and smiled, and when he turned to her friends, they nodded as well. "Cool, thanks."

"Thank you all," she smiled to the group. "I will talk to you this week, I'm sure," she nodded. "Chris, I'll call you later. I shouldn't be too late, just my normal time."

"Okay, bye," he nodded to her, and Sharon left quickly. She was somewhat irritated she'd been called into work on her day off, but she couldn't be too mad, not when others were ill. So, she decided to call Andy on the way and talk to him. She hadn't spoken to him all week.

"Hey, Gorgeous," she heard a few seconds later and smiled as her already tense day faded with his voice. "How was lunch after church?"

"Hello to you too," she greeted him. "The church put on a lunch today, an early Valentine's Day luncheon, and it was very nice."

"Early Valentine's Day, huh?" he asked. "I wish I could say that I had a surprise trip in my back pocket, that I was going to pop up on your doorstep for that, but…"he trailed off.

Sharon chuckled, "I'm guessing Provenza is your date for the evening? Valentine's Day is always a big day at work."

"Exactly," Andy nodded. "No rest for the weary or those in love," he let out a laugh. "I'm sorry I won't be there. I know I'm a terrible husband for deserting my wife on Christmas, New Year's and now Valentine's Day."

"Hmm, or I'm a terrible wife for not coming to see you," she teased.

"Do not come here, Sharon," he said.

"I know," she chuckled. "I'm just teasing and still going over my lunch conversation. You were the hot topic."

"Oh, I was," he teased. "The fact that I'm hot was the topic of your lunch?"

"No!" she exclaimed she laughed. "See, this is why I called you and why I'm glad I carry this phone with me. I just needed to hear you and needed to clear my head. They are worried about me, worried again you have a secret life and are staying away from me."

"Well, that I would be happy to set them straight," he added. "No place I'd rather be than with you, especially right now."

"Why now?" she asked.

"I'm heading into work soon. I'm on at 12, and I'm just finishing a late breakfast now. Whole team has to work, so I'm going to be spending the rest of my day with Provenza," he grumbled. "I'm sure we'll hear more and more about his wedding and plans he's made. Guy just needs to let Patrice have what she wants."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "that is a problem. I wish I could hear Provenza discuss his wedding woes. I am on my way to work as well."

"I thought you were off all weekend," he told her.

"I was, but the stomach bug has hit the store hard. I'm glad Rusty and I have avoided it, but my department is very short-staffed. I was just called in for the rest of the day," she told him.

"Sorry to hear that. You and Rusty stay healthy," he told her. "You work on your physical health, and I'm going to work on my mental health, with Provenza," he explained. Sharon burst out laughing at that. "I spoke to the kids yesterday," he said as he changed subjects. "Ricky is dating someone."

"Serious?" Sharon asked.

"Ahh, I'm not sure yet. He mentioned her, which, as you know, is more than he normally does. He said they've gone out a few times the last month and refused to label the relationship. I know where he gets that from now," Andy chuckled.

"Oh, stop," Sharon sighed. "When we have more time, you'll have to tell me about her. I'd like to know. See what else you can find out from him. How is Emily?"

"Good," Andy nodded. "She's got a new part starting soon. It's not the lead, but I believe the second most important part. It's the show I'll get to see, so she was happy about that. I asked her for the website to the show, so I can get all the info for you."

"Thank you," Sharon nodded, a bit teary-eyed. "I miss them so much."

"I know you do, Sweetheart. They miss you. I can hear it, and we always talk about you in some form or fashion. You're keeping everyone safe. You know that," Andy reminded her.

"I know," she said quickly as she tried to school her features. "I can't start crying and ruin my makeup before I get to work," he explained.

"We cannot have that, although I'd argue you don't need a drop of makeup anyway. I hope you have a good afternoon at work," he told her.

"You too, my love," Sharon told him. "Be safe and try to be kind to Provenza," Sharon sighed.

"Oh, I'll do my best. He's all irritated at Davis. She's been in the office way too much lately. I think if he can move her out, he'll relax. Plus, the wedding stuff has him stressed. You have no idea how hard it is to bite my tongue when he starts telling me I don't understand. I've told him repeatedly it's not a big deal to go to the courthouse, but he won't listen. It's always the bit about I can't possibly understand."

Sharon laughed again as Andy described their friend. "Oh, I miss you," she sighed.

"I love you," he told her. "I'll call you in a few days," he told her.

"Love you, Andy," she told him and hung up.

Sharon sighed as she disconnected her call and started to refocus on her day. Andy, thousands of miles away, did the same thing. There were days both enjoyed the mundane, but there were days, like today, they wished they could share in each other's mundane tasks.


	42. Chapter 42

It was over another week later, now the middle of February, and Sharon found herself alone for the evening. Rusty was studying at school with a study group he'd joined. Sharon really knew it was a cover for a group of his friends to hang out together, but they did study occasionally. She was happy for him; he was really growing up, but it left her alone for the evening on a very cold Ohio night. She had decided to curl up with a new book, a glass of wine, a bowl of popcorn, and a movie Andy had told her he'd watched with Provenza. She had decided to alternate between the book and the movie, starting with the movie. She figured it had to be decent if Andy had suggested it, but she sometimes knew that they had differing taste in the movie area. She also knew if she started with a book, she might just fall asleep, and while it was a Friday night, she wasn't planning on going to be that early; she was hoping to talk to Andy when he got home from work later into the evening.

Yes, the two were talking quite a bit, and although they often told each other they should wait to call for several days, usually one caved and called the other within a day or two. Work had made it impossible for Andy to visit. He did have time off scheduled in March; they were all going to meet up in Florida for Rusty's spring break, but Sharon had promised both men that it wasn't a "cut loose, go wild" type of spring break. That had earned a smile from Rusty and a good laugh from Andy when she'd told him on the phone one night. Until March, the two were going to have to continue with their phone conversations.

During a recent phone conversation, Sharon learned that Ricky had returned to LA the weekend before, and he'd stayed with Andy. Sharon had enjoyed the update on his life, and Ricky had told Andy that Amanda was now technically his girlfriend. Andy had reported everything to Sharon he could remember from his conversation with Ricky, and he'd even told her he'd get a picture of the two of them. Ricky promised, if things continued, to bring Amanda around Andy later in the spring, and Sharon was anxious to hear about the relationship.

Sharon was in her kitchen, getting ready for her movie and book night when her doorbell rang. She opened it to find a surprise visitor.

"Father," she greeted her priest. "What can I do for you this evening?"

"I hope I'm not bothering you, Sandra. I was in the area, and I've wanted to talk to you for some time. I was hoping you were home, and that I wasn't catching you at a bad time," he explained to her.

"Not at all," she nodded to him and gestured for him to enter. "Please, come in. I was just about to settle in for a movie night, one Andy told me he'd enjoyed. Chris is out at a study group, or really, he and his friends have gotten together on campus and are calling that studying."

He grinned and nodded at her explanation and stepped into her home. He looked around, as he'd only been there once before, just after she and Rusty had moved to the area, but even then, he hadn't stayed long.

"Would you please sit," she gestured to the couch where she had her book on the coffee table and a blanket nearby that she hadn't opened yet. "Can I offer you tea or coffee?"

"Ahh, tea sounds very nice, if you don't mind," he nodded, as he started to sit.

"No trouble at all," she smiled at him. "I'll get it started. So, you've been wanting to talk to me?" she asked as she walked toward the kitchen. Instead of sitting, he followed her and perched his arms on the counter as she started to make the tea.

"I wanted to speak to you, well, about," he glanced around as he started to talk and noticed pictures on her refrigerator, "about that," he nodded to the refrigerator. "I wanted to come and talk to you about this wedding of yours. I was disappointed to hear that you hadn't gone through the proper channels to get married in the church. Because of that, you are aware that you cannot participate in Holy Communion within the church."

Sharon put the tea kettle on, and she turned to him as she folded her hands on the counter. "Yes, Father, I am aware of that. I have not been participating in Holy Communion."

"I'm aware," he nodded. "I did want to speak to you to find out why you felt the need to go outside the church for this wedding? It seemed awfully sudden, and I've heard the grumblings of some of your friends. I must admit that I, too, find it odd that you would go against your faith to marry a man, a man who doesn't even live here with you, yet, you put up pictures of the two of you," he gestured to the refrigerator, "you obviously have discussed this with your son who seems okay with it, and you wear your wedding rings," he gestured to her hand. "I'm somewhat confused by it all, and Sandra, I believe you want to be a good Catholic, but I wouldn't be doing my job, keeping true to my faith if I didn't come and question you about it."

Sharon just nodded as she sighed. "It's a very complicated matter," she told him simply. She turned back to find two mugs for her tea. She smiled slightly at the sight of her favorite mugs, her green ones that Andy had brought her from home. It wasn't much, but it was something from home that he knew she loved. She loved her mugs; Andy loved the mugs, and even Rusty commented on their return when Andy had brought them on one of his trips. She took her mugs, her mugs from her hidden life in California, and she put them out to prepare the tea.

"I'm always good at listening to complicated things," he gave her a small smile. "I'm concerned about you. I've met Andy just a couple times, and part of me wonders why that is and why you, someone I think understands the faith, would go so against the beliefs of the church?"

Sharon offered him sugar for his tea, and he shook his head indicating he was fine with it the way it was. She gestured for them to move to the living room to sit. Once they were seated, Sharon in the chair now and he on the couch, she looked to him to answer some of his questions.

"I cannot get into every detail right now," she told him. "I've known Andy for a very long time. As you know, I moved here from California, and Andy is still there. Work is our biggest issue. He cannot retire yet, and for that matter, neither can I. We are unable to pick up and move to either location. One of the reasons we got married when we did is related to health issues, and I'm not saying that is the only reason or an excuse for anything. Andy had a work-related accident last year that put his health in jeopardy. We both realized life is short, often too short, and we cannot control the outcome. You, Father, I know, are aware of that all too well."

"Yes," he nodded and then sipped his tea before he continued, "life is short. I've looked at your paperwork. Your previous marriage was annulled. You had completed the correct steps," he told her.

Sharon raised her eyes a little and shrugged, "It's not that simple," she stated, then and there, deciding that as much as she wanted to tell him everything, all the details about witness protection and that paperwork being just that, paperwork, she decided that for now, she couldn't tell him. She couldn't, even though the agency had put annulment paperwork into her file in case she'd ever wanted to remarry. "My paperwork might be in order, but that doesn't mean that everything was simple and easy. I'm not the only divorced Catholic in my marriage."

He nodded, "Ahh, yes, I wondered if that was the issue, his previous marriage," as he offered, more as a statement than a question.

"It was one of many factors," Sharon explained. "As to the urgency, Andy was here. He was able to be here before Christmas, and while the church here may not understand our marriage, he and I do. It works for us. It's not ideal, and I miss him, but it is what we can do. Chris understands that too. I'd love nothing more than to have Andy curled up with me here to watch a movie tonight, for him to sit next to me in church each week, for him to sit at the dinner table each night with Chris and me, but it can't happen right now. I've accepted that, just as I accepted that marrying him came at a price. I realize it doesn't make sense to everyone, but deep down, I know my faith, and I believe I am doing what is right."

"Well, that is one of the issues, here," he nodded. "I know you believe this is right for you, but I have to educate you as well, or make sure you are educated on matters. The church cannot bless your marriage; in fact, it technically isn't recognized. I know that's not what you want to hear."

"No," Sharon frowned slightly, "it's not, but I did do my homework. I am aware it causes issue, but I'm also aware that I can still attend and be part of the church. I am doing that. My marriage has not changed that."

"I'd urge you to reconsider, or at least consider things that could help your future," he told her. "I would be happy to help you with that, to discuss those things in the future. I was also hoping to talk to Andy on this matter. Part of the concern, just with this entire scenario, is that he is not here. I'm sure you are aware your friends are concerned and even have suggested he's living some alternate life."

Sharon let out a low chuckle, "He's not leading a double life. That I can promise. We have a valid marriage, at least valid in the eyes of the law if even not the church, and as I've said, I've known Andy for years. I know this isn't the norm, but my life seems to be anything but normal," she chuckled again.

"I get the feeling you have a great deal of sadness, Sandra, and I hope one day you will be comfortable enough to open up to me," he gave her a reassuring smile.

"My life has had a lot of unexpected change," she admitted. "Marrying Andy is a welcome blessing, a wonderful thing, and I'm sorry it doesn't meet the criteria of the church. As you know, I've been at Catholic all my life, and I'm aware of the regulations. I wish it had been different for us, but we are trying to live our lives as best as we can while we are here on this Earth. I still have faith everything will work out."

He nodded and looked down, "When will Andy be home next?"

Sharon sighed, "Work is an issue. We are taking Chris on a spring break trip in March," she smiled at him, a much larger smile now that she was talking about and thinking about something happy. "I don't think we will be in town then, but he will be back in May when Chris graduates."

"That's an awfully long time for a couple to be apart. Whether or not I can recognize your marriage, I still have concerns about your relationship," he told her.

"I understand," she nodded. "I do, really, and I want to thank you for coming to me with your concerns. Andy is a good man, and I wish he was around her more to see that. I understand that is part of the concern, that he isn't here. You are a good man, a good Godly man, and I appreciate your dedication to the church. It is refreshing to see, which is one of the reasons I like your parish so much."

"Thank you," he nodded. "I wish the circumstances were different, but I cannot go against what our faith says, even for you," he gave her a small smile.

"I understand, I do," she sighed as she nodded. "And, I cannot go against what I believe I need to do for the reason I need to do it. I hope you understand that things aren't always as easy as they seem. I try to follow the rules and do what is expected, but I've found that sometimes, things have to play out differently."

He nodded, and the two lapsed into a silence for a few moments. They moved onto a few lighter topics, and they ended their conversation with Sharon explaining that she still wanted to help at the church.

"I do hope that my marriage will not change your opinion of me or the dedication I have to the church. I still wish to help in the different ministry areas I have in the past. I enjoy some of the outreach we do, as well as the projects for the children," she told him.

"None of those are related to sacraments. We are very happy to have you in our parish, Sandra. I hope that if and when you feel comfortable you will come to me, talk to me," he encouraged. He stood. "I should be going."

Sharon nodded, "Thank you again for your concern. I appreciate you coming by. That is refreshing, at least, that you addressed your concerns face to face. Thank you for that," she offered a small smile.

"Give my best to Andy when you do speak to him," he told her. "Please, when he is back in town, I'd like to sit down with the two of you."

"I think that can be arranged," she told him. "He likes you, and I can confess," she chuckled, "that he doesn't like a lot of priests. I will pass along your regards later tonight when I talk to him."

The two bid their good-byes for the evening, and Sharon collapsed on the couch. She hadn't realized just how emotionally drained she was from the conversation. She debated on getting up to make her popcorn and decided for now, it was too much work. Reading was also too much work, so she settled for watching her movie, Andy's movie, the one he'd recommended. She couldn't be with him, but they could enjoy the same movie at least.

The phone woke her later, the exact time, she wasn't sure. She fumbled to answer it, determined to answer it, because it was coming from her burner phone.

"Hi," she said sleepily into the phone.

"Oh, I woke you," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No, no!" she exclaimed. "Don't you hang up. You cannot call me later," she chuckled. "I was hoping you would call tonight. I wanted to call you, but I knew you were still at work. What time is it?" she asked, mostly to herself, but she'd said it for Andy to hear as she glanced around the house.

"It's 9:00 your time," he told her. "Partying it up there, Sharon, are you?" he chuckled. "Hanging out with another man?"

"Oh, stop," she sighed, "but yes, I did have another man here," she teased. "I fell asleep watching that movie you recommended. I'll have to go back and watch it from the beginning. Maybe I'll watch it with Rusty to stay awake."

"Oh, it can't be that bad! I really liked it," he grumbled.

She laughed as she stretched, "I didn't say it was bad, but you know that when I watch movies alone, I tend to fall asleep."

"That's not true when you are just alone, Sharon," he told her. "I believe the correct statement is you tend to fall asleep when you watch movies, period." Sharon laughed, and the two settled into a comfortable silence. They often had moments like this on the phone, just times to enjoy each other without talking. "Wait, you had another man there?"

"Hmm, you're just processing that now? I'm really glad you called," she sighed. "I had a rather stressful evening."

"Oh, how so?" Andy asked. "The movie stressed you out, or this other man? That's starting to stress me out," Andy told her. She chuckled.

"No," she let out her breath. "Father Todd stopped by this evening. He wanted to discuss concerns he had."

"Oh, Sharon, I'm sorry," Andy let out a long breath. "I know that couldn't have been easy. I can only imagine what he had to say. I hope he wasn't to awful."

"No, he was actually very kind, but I know he doesn't understand what is going on at all, not that I would expect him to do so. I hate keeping all this from him, but by the time we finished, I think we had a mutual respect. I can continue helping with the different ministry areas, but as we already knew, neither you nor I can take communion. He even asked me to give you his regards and asked that we get together with him next time you are home."

"Okay," Andy told her as he listened. "Home with you," he grinned to himself. "That I can do. I'm happy to meet with him. I'm just so very sorry that you are there dealing with the brunt of this. Your friends are good friends and are worried about you. This all seems fishy to them for good reason. I'm sorry I'm not there to help."

"I'm a big girl, Andy. I can handle it," Sharon sighed as she shook her head.

"That's not the point; we're a team, and teams stick together. I'm sorry I'm letting down the team," he said almost playfully. That earned a small chuckle from Sharon. "There it is, your laugh, just what I wanted to hear."

"I miss you," she sighed. "Spring break is a long way away."

"I know," he told her. "I miss you too. Provenza was in rare form today, still trying to figure out this wedding stuff. I know Patrice has been nagging him about making some decisions, and I think she's about given him an ultimatum."

"Oh, Andy," Sharon covered her mouth as she pictured Provenza. "I needed a good laugh. Thank you for that," she grinned.

"Yeah, well, that's partly why I was calling you now. He's made a date with me tonight. He told Patrice he was going to sit down tonight and focus on the wedding. Yeah, that will supposedly be happening on my couch as he eats pizza, chicken wings, and onion rings."

"Oh my, he's going to eat all that? Really?" Sharon continued to chuckle.

"Can't make this up, I promise you," Andy told her. "So, where's Rusty tonight?"

"Study group," Sharon told him.

"Oh, so hanging with his friends while they pretend to study again?" Andy teased. "Hey, he and Provenza are more alike than we have ever given them credit."

Sharon hummed as she listened to Andy, and then she started to laugh again. "I bought our tickets to Ft. Lauderdale today, and our flight gets in 20 minutes after your flight."

"Now, that is good news," Andy grinned. "Good news. We're just over a month away from that, Sweetheart. We'll have 10 days to spend together. I secured that condo rental for all of us. It's going to be a really nice trip, a few days in Ft. Lauderdale and a few days touring through part of the Keys."

"Yes, it can't come soon enough. Not only will I be glad to see you, I cannot wait to get out of this dreary Ohio weather. I feel like it fits my mood," she told him.

"Well, go get some sleep. While you sleep, know I'm stuck entertaining bridezilla here as he attempts to put together the wedding of the century," Andy chuckled.

"Sleep well, my love," Sharon said to him. "I'll talk to you in a couple days."


	43. Chapter 43

It started as another day in the office. The team had closed a case two days earlier, and they were catching up on paperwork. They'd had a string of cases, all stemming from Valentine's Day now two weeks ago. Dirt bags killing dirt bags, as Andy had said. All the cases they had closed in the last two weeks had involved some sort of lover's spat, and the team was ready to have a well-deserved break in the action. All eyes turned toward the door when they heard it open, and the groans started when they saw Taylor.

"Gentlemen and Sykes," he offered his famous fake smile. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Julio looked up at him and then to the team. "We're in the middle of a paperwork day. Time to go home, then I'm all in," he flashed a grin.

"Ahh, yes, no, not that," he nodded and turned to the door as Chief Davis joined him. "It's time that we clean out the captain's office," he gestured with one hand toward Sharon's door. Andy jumped up immediately.

"Chief, her office isn't bothering any of us. We've managed to do just fine with it still there in intact. No need to mess with it now," Andy offered.

"Flynn, she's been gone over a year now, and you all can't continue to make it a shrine to your former captain. The department has her on a leave of absence, yes, and that will stand indefinitely, but we cannot continue to hold up valuable office space," Taylor offered.

"Valuable space? I don't want that office," Provenza grumbled as he continued to count his latest printer fund earnings. "I'm fine right here, and since I'd be the one to move into that office, I think the discussion is over."

"Lieutenant, that is where you are wrong. We are going to work on some changes around here and my taking that office is one of them," Davis jumped in and nodded as she explained.

"Chief, really? What happens when Sharon comes back?" Andy asked, now confused and starting to get irritated. He crossed his arms, and glared at Taylor and Davis.

"Well, I'll take this one, since your vague 'chief' comment wasn't directed at either of us," Davis smirked at Andy. "Your boss, your captain, or wait, as you like to call her even here at work, Sharon," she enunciated and made a face at Andy, "may never come back. We will not sit and wait, month after month, year after year for that to maybe happen. Besides, even if she ever comes back to LA, the department may very well go ahead and retire her. She's been out of here now a year and counting. She's as good as done to the LAPD," Davis smiled, a completely fake smile at Andy.

"Flynn, have a seat," Provenza said without even looking at Andy. Mike jumped into the conversation before things got even more heated.

"Chief Davis, why now? We've been doing well, and our case closure record is almost as high as when the captain was here," Mike pointed out.

"Almost," Davis nodded. "Enter me. I can make that case closure rate go even higher. I will be taking over the division as it should have been months ago. You'll finally have a chief in charge and not just your Sharon," she said again as she looked to Andy.

"Flynn, where are my coin rolls?" Provenza asked, trying to distract Andy. The team all held back their laughter.

"No disrespect, Ma'am," Julio stated, "but I don't see why you want this unit. You get a Provenza and a Flynn as your men in command."

"That might be the case for now, but there is a season for everything. Everyone retires eventually," she said as she crossed her arms.

"What we are here to tell you today is that effective April 1, this will be happening. It was decided earlier today when we met with Chief Pope. He has held out as long as he believes on the idea your captain would return. There is no update on the Stroh front, and as long as he remains at large, your captain will not be back. Now, I know some of you find that hard to swallow," he turned to Flynn and gave him a sympathetic glance. "Some of you are close to the captain, were close to the captain, and change is always hard. Over the next month, that office will be emptied, and Chief Davis will be remodeling it."

"Ahh, where are you going to put Sharon's things?" Andy asked.

Taylor turned to Andy, "Flynn, since you seem to have had the most dealings with the captain's things, I'll let you figure that out."

"Oh, so your personal relationship with the captain IS widely known," Davis pointed out as she glared at Andy. He held his own and fired back at her.

"The captain asked me to close out her condo, pack up her things, and store them so the unit could be rented. That was all done, all on my own time, so no need to worry that it was on work time. Since then, I've made sure the captain's personal belongings are secure. Her kids have had access to her things, and I'll be more than happy to add anything from her office to that collection. She wouldn't want just anyone going through her things," he stated.

"Ahh, some personal items in there, maybe photos with you?" Davis crossed her arms again and glared at him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but even if she had photos of us, there is no rule against that, no line that was crossed. She'd be happy with anyone from her team cleaning out her office, but she wouldn't want anyone outside the immediate team touching her things. Chief, I will personally see to it her office is rid of any garbage, well, as much as it can be," he looked Davis up and down as he said that. The rest of the team had to look away for fear of laughing at the situation. Andy held his ground and continued to stare at her until she rolled her eyes and looked to the rest of the team.

"I won't be a stranger until I officially take over. As we've been operating, Chief Taylor and I will continue to monitor your cases. Come April 1st, I will keep a very close eye on all of you," she explained. "We will be tightening the reigns around here, and that will also mean that I won't be granting these long periods of absence for vacations and such," she nodded to Andy.

"Chief," Andy looked to Taylor, "any vacation time submitted before then?"

"Will be approved and granted as needed," Taylor nodded. "Yes, if it's submitted before then and approved even for later in the year, it will be honored," he said as he directed that statement to Davis. She just gave a single nod, and the two chiefs turned to the team.

"Any other administrative questions?" Taylor asked. When no one spoke, he nodded, "Okay, then. You have another month on your own, and then she will become your new boss. Back to work," he nodded, and the team all turned to watch the two leave. Andy sunk back into his chair and put his hands over his face.

"Davis is going to be all over us," Buzz commented from the corner where he'd almost tried to hide form Davis. "Talk about a hostile work environment, and that's saying a lot after watching the lieutenants bicker all the time."

Provenza looked to Andy, "Flynn, is there a game on tonight?"

Andy eyed him suspiciously, "What game? Baseball hasn't started yet, and football is over. This is the dry spell for sports. Why are you thinking of a game at a time like this?"

"Basketball, Sir," Julio offered.

Andy waved him off, "Basketball, no thanks. Not a fan. No, there are a couple months of the year where television is horrible. This is that time. Why, Provenza? Can we not just focus on the fact that the LAPD is trying to erase Sharon from us?"

"Lieutenant, she's still special to us," Amy offered a small smile. "Davis isn't my first choice, but you had to know they would put someone in there eventually."

"It's just the whole idea," Andy shrugged. "Davis is awful, and the fact she's taking over Sharon's office, it's just wrong," he sighed. "I guess I need to sit down tonight and plan out my vacations for the rest of the year. I'm going to need them if I have to deal with Davis."

"I was asking about a game because of that right there," Provenza pointed to Andy, "the sad, puppy dog routine. It's a Thursday night, and as much as I hate this too, you are not going to wallow in your sorrows. I know she's gone, and we don't know if she and Rusty will be back. No, tonight, we are going to find something to watch at your house, we are going to order a pizza, and you are going to help me figure out this wedding book. Patrice told me if I haven't filled it out by the end of the week, I lose any say in the wedding."

"What then, Sir?" Julio grinned. "Is the wedding off?"

"No! Worse! It will be at city hall," he made a face.

"How is that worse, Lieutenant?" Amy asked, now confused.

"It just is," Provenza grumbled. "Flynn, go buy a TV Guide and figure out something we can watch tonight."

"TV Guide?" Andy started to chuckle as he looked to Provenza. "What year do you think this is? There are many other ways to figure out what is on tv. There's a guide on most TVs; mine has one. You can also look it up online."

"Too much effort," Provenza waved at him.

"As if my going in search of a TV Guide isn't work? I'll find it on my computer faster than anything," Andy complained.

"Good. You do that. You can also use your fancy computer skills to order us dinner. I know you can do that too. Get us a pizza. We're going to sit, eat, and plan a wedding at your house." "Oh, and I'll need a ride. My car is acting up. Patrice says it's old, but it's in the shop. She dropped me off at work. You can take me to your place and then drive me home later. If all that doesn't get your mind off the captain, well, we can figure out more for you to do later." The team started to laugh, and all started back to work. They didn't want to obsess over Davis any longer. They'd discussed Sharon's office on many occasions, and all knew, deep down, it was only a matter of time before Sharon was officially removed from Major Crimes.

Andy and Provenza arrived back at Andy's house close to 7:00 that night, armed with a pizza. Andy hadn't caved completely; Provenza still didn't know Andy had ordered a vegetarian pizza for their night in. Provenza had his wedding notebook with him, and both men were quiet as they entered Andy's house and got comfortable for the evening.

"I'm going to change," Andy sighed as he waved off Provenza and started for his room. Provenza turned on the television to find something to watch.

"I'm not waiting on you to eat," Provenza yelled to him.

"Fine by me! Enjoy!" Andy yelled back. Provenza left the television for a moment to get a plate for his pizza.

"Flynn! Vegetarian! Are you insane?" Provenza complained after he flipped open the pizza box. Andy waked back out clad in pants-sweats for the evening, but he was still trying to put his shirt on. "Oh, cover up! I don't want to see that! That will make me lose any appetite I might still have." Provenza made a gagging face as he held his plate in one hand and shook his disgusted face at Andy.

"Oh, stuff it!" Andy yelled at him. 'I'm in my own house, and I'd go to the beach without a shirt. What's different?"

"Different is that I wouldn't go to the beach with you. Now, this pizza," he gestured to the box.

Andy grinned, "I provided dinner. You can choose to eat it or not. Like a parent would say, I'm not making a separate meal because you don't like your options."

"Well, I may not give you a choice for my reception menu either. We'll see who wins then," Provenza nodded at him as he took three slices of pizza.

"Yeah, who will be laughing when there is no reception, and Patrice gets her way? Me. I'll be laughing. What's wrong with a wedding at city hall? That's what she wants. Let her have what she wants," Andy told him as he grabbed two pieces of pizza and sat down in his recliner. He eyed the wedding book on the table. "You really are getting all nostalgic with each wedding you have. Look at that book," he shook his head and chuckled.

"If we had anything decent on television, I wouldn't have to mess with this book tonight. It's the tv's fault. I have to address this wedding garbage because I have nothing better to do," Provenza complained.

"That, and Patrice gave you an ultimatum. Just get married where she wants. It works in your favor. It saves you money," Andy pointed out to him.

"For once, I'd be fine spending whatever she wants. I took her ring shopping. Do you have any idea how expensive rings can be? I was going to let her get whatever wedding ring she wanted, now that I'm set on marrying her and being with her the rest of my life, and you know what, she didn't want anything fancy."

"Oh, I'm well aware they can be expensive," Andy grumbled. "Patrice isn't into glitz and glamour. You should be grateful about that. I think that is why Sharon liked her the couple times she met her. She's always liked Patrice, and I think it's because the two women are a lot alike in that area, simple and classy."

Provenza was about to spout off another irritating comment, when a knock at the door interrupted them. Andy frowned as he stood and shook his head, "Saved by the door," he turned to Provenza. "I don't even want to hear what you were about to say next." He opened the door and was speechless instantly.

"I know you will be mad I risked coming, but I couldn't stand to not see you," Sharon said. Andy's eyes grew wide, as he found her standing in front of him at his door in the dark with a single suitcase next to her. She had on a very non-descript outfit, very un-Sharon-like, with a pair of jeans, loafers, a solid black top, and a zip up hoodie over it. She had on a generic baseball cap, no team logo or anything, and her hair was piled in the cap. "Andy?" she asked again. "I saw your car was home, so I knew you should be here."

"Sharon," he stammered, and at this point, Provenza had picked up on the commotion at the door and had walked over to join Andy. His shocked expression registered similar to Andy's. "Come in," he gestured, as he tried to snap out of his shock. Provenza shook his head as he stared at her.

"Lieutenant, I didn't know you were here. I didn't see your car outside," Sharon explained. "I came from the airport, in a taxi," she explained, "and I knew if Andy wasn't home, I could probably still find the spare key outside."

"Are you insane?" Provenza asked. "I haven't gotten an alert that Stroh has been caught, so you cannot be standing here in Flynn's living room with a serial killer still on the loose."

Sharon took off her hat and shook out her hair. Andy fumbled for her bag at the door and pulled it inside. Before he closed the door, he took a good look up and down his street, and satisfied there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary, he closed and locked the door before he turned back to her.

"Lieutenant, I didn't plan to drag you into this. Andy had no idea I was coming, as you can see by his shocked expression," she gestured to Andy who was staring at her, but still shocked. She grinned at him, and then Sharon unzipped her hoodie and took it off. "I've tried to be very careful, as I always am. I missed him terribly, and it's been months now since I've seen him. I had time off," she started to say, but Provenza interrupted.

"Ahhh," he covered his ears, "don't say it. Don't say what you do or where you live." He gave her a look, and she just nodded as she offered a small smile.

"It is good to see you, Lieutenant," she said as her smile grew even more. "I can only stay a couple days, and I only expected to see Andy, but it's good to see you."

Provenza shook his head as he glanced from Sharon to Andy. He gestured to Andy, who was still standing there almost speechless, "Well, she flew here from who knows where to see your sorry self. That's the best you've got, a dumb expression on your face, sweats, and an old shirt?" he grumbled as he started back to the couch. "If I had known any better, Flynn, I'd say you planned this with your vegetarian pizza. Captain, you're in time for dinner. Flynn has pizza," he gestured. Sharon had turned to Andy, her eyes sparkling as she looked to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I knew you would tell me not to come, but I just really needed to see you," she explained. Andy took a step toward her, and she moved quickly and flung her arms around him. Andy pulled her tightly to him and held her as he closed his eyes.

"I can't believe you risked everything to come here," he sighed. "Rusty?"

"Is fine," Sharon offered as she pulled back to look up at him. Andy held her in his arms as he listened to her. "He's home and doing his usual. My friends will keep an eye on him," she explained, not going into great detail as she looked toward Provenza. Andy just nodded.

"You came back to LA," he sighed. "Sharon, you know it's not safe."

"I made my peace with it. I'll be careful. It's not as if I'm going to be parading around town. I made sure to get in after dark, and I was very careful from the airport. Andy, it's not as if Stroh is camped outside your house on the off chance that I might stop by out of witness protection," she pointed out to him. He just nodded as he brushed her hair out of her face. "Rusty's look seems to be wearing off on you," he gestured to her outfit. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I couldn't come in my normal power suit," she pointed out to him. "Comfort, warmth, and a bit of a distraction from my usual attire," she shrugged. "All worth it." She ran her hands up and down his shoulders as the two continued to stand. Provenza finally cleared his throat.

"I would like to see the television even if we can't get a game on tonight," he added. He nodded to Sharon, "Captain, it is good to see you, even if I almost can't believe you would start breaking rules."

Sharon rested her head on Andy's shoulder as she continued to hold onto him, "Lieutenant, I prefer to see things in a gray area."

Provenza's eyes grew wide as he glanced to Sharon, "Captain, or maybe I should scream at you Flynn, what are those?" he pointed to her hand where her wedding rings were clearly visible.

Sharon gave Andy a look, and he sighed as he shook his head. The two turned back to Provenza, who now was staring at them, completely shocked, as he crossed his arms.

"So, maybe now you can understand why I keep suggesting a wedding at city hall," Andy flashed a grin and shrugged.


	44. Chapter 44

"I still can't believe you two are married," Provenza said between bites of his pizza. The three were now seated in the living room, Provenza in Andy's favorite chair, while Andy and Sharon were on the couch. They had agreed to sit down and eat while the food was still warm and explain everything to Provenza.

"Sometimes life throws you a curveball, or in our case, several, and we just decided we didn't want to wait," Sharon tightened her grip on Andy's hand as both were using one hand to eat their pizza while they held each other's hands.

"Provenza, look, I hope you know I wasn't trying to keep this from you, I mean, I was, but not because I didn't want you to know. I know this whole situation is a mess, and I was trying to protect you on some level. The less you know, as you, yourself, have said, the better," Andy explained.

Provenza nodded, "So, you two are legally married? You're legally tied to this idiot?" Provenza looked to Sharon. They allowed you to do that, Sharon?"

"Yes," they said at the same time and then turned to smile at each other.

"Although, I am not sure the agency knows exactly that I am married, or that I'm married specifically to Andy. Once you are in the program, they tend to not have contact, the whole 'no news is good news' adage, and I haven't talked to anyone. Rusty, of course, was there and knows. He's warmed up to Andy a great deal," she offered a small smile to Andy while he squeezed her hand. "You'd be surprised just how excited he is when Andy visits," she chuckled. "He's like a small child who pesters Andy about a chess match, and they usually have to play within the first couple hours of his arriving."

"Hmm, sounds like Rusty is doing okay," Provenza nodded. "So, when did this happen? I'm still adjusting to the whole thing, and Flynn, I can't believe you were that big of an idiot that you'd make this whole thing even more complicated. You're married to your former boss who is tucked away somewhere in witness protection! This is insane! Wait, you weren't married when he was in the hospital, were you?"

"We got married in December, before Christmas, when I went to see Sharon," Andy explained. "We'd talked about it on a visit prior to that, and Sharon tried to brush me off and cut me loose."

"At least someone was thinking clearly back then," Provenza huffed. Sharon chuckled.

"Lieutenant, I didn't want Andy to feel tied to me for the rest of his life, considering I don't know how long this mess will continue. After his accident, I think we both just knew that neither of us could just walk away, regardless of the situation or the location. So, yes, we got married when he came to visit in December."

"Wait, December," Provenza pointed at Andy. "You were injured and on medical leave."

"Yeah, great, huh?" Andy grinned. "I followed doctor's orders. He said I couldn't work, but I specifically asked him if I could fly and travel. That wasn't a problem. I did rest, just with Sharon, at her place."

"Our place," Sharon corrected him as she smiled at him. Provenza grumbled as he shook his head.

"You two realize you could be apart from now on, I assume? This is a huge risk," Provenza explained. "On the flip side, if you do come back to LA after they catch Stroh, you have to deal with this," he gestured to them, "at work. That won't go over well."

"Lieutenant, you know as well as we do, that there is no rule against married couples working together. There was no rule against dating, either, just to fill out the paperwork and inform a superior office. Believe me, when Stroh is caught, I don't think Andy will have a problem informing our superior officers," she grinned. "He might scream it from the roof of the PAB."

"Oh, you know I will," he flashed a quick grin to Sharon and then turned to Provenza. "Look, Provenza, you aren't telling us anything we don't know. We've thought about it, and we are okay with this for now. It's what we can do. You're the only one here who knows. Where Sharon is, Rusty knows, as do many of her friends. Some came to the wedding, and she even has pictures of it. I just can't put up any here, just like I can't wear my wedding ring here," he frowned.

"Rings, weddings, Flynn, you've been listening to me for months now talk about my wedding, and all along you went and got married!" Provenza exclaimed.

"I know!" Andy yelled right back. "Look, if circumstances had been different, I would have had you there, right next to me. You would have been my best man. I'm sorry it is what it is, and I couldn't tell you, but you know now. You're the only one in LA. Aside from Rusty, none of the kids even know. I thought I'd messed up after I got back. I still had my wedding ring on at work one morning, but no one seemed to notice. Now, I leave it on my nightstand in a box."

Provenza's eyes opened a little more, "I didn't even consider your kids. Your kids can't know, can they, and we'll get back to this jewelry box you keep Flynn," he nodded.

"No, the kids don't know Andy has even found me, let alone we are married," Sharon frowned, "but Andy is doing a good job with all of them. Ricky was here not long ago and stayed with Andy. You know he visits and talks to Emily, not to mention his own kids. As far as everything is concerned, he's already a father to the four of them."

"Again, I don't want to know where you are, Captain, but how are you managing to keep people from asking where Flynn is? You said your friends know or were at the wedding. Well, he's not there, so can I ask how that works?" Provenza inquired.

Sharon pursed her lips as she looked to Andy, "That is a juggling act, and honestly, my friends are worried Andy leads some double life," she let out a small chuckle. "That's partly why I came. I was so tired of the inquisition from them, and they all mean well, but I just wanted to see Andy. I also wanted to be able to tell them I'd gone to see my husband. They have been told he travels a lot, and that his work, as well as my work, don't allow either of us to relocate or retire at the moment, so we are doing our best. We've told them the four kids are all Andy's so there isn't a question about that there."

Provenza nodded as he scowled at Andy, "We can be assured, I assume, that Ricky and Emily are not yours, if I'm correct? This little thing," he gestured between Sharon and Andy, it's been going on a long time, but I truly hope not THAT long."

"No!' Andy exclaimed. "Look, yes, perhaps Sharon and I refused to acknowledge our dating or feelings for each other when we were here together in LA, but absolutely no! Don't even suggest that! As much as it pains me to say it, Jack, the dirt bag we know he is, is responsible for Emily and Ricky." He threw another scowl at Provenza, while Sharon, who had pulled her hand away from Andy to cover her face, continued to laugh at the suggestion.

"I had to ask," Provenza shrugged.

"Lieutenant, we are going to just do our best until this whole ordeal is over, and until then, we will have to get by with seeing each other as often as we can," Sharon explained as she reached for a third slice of pizza.

"Three slices?" Andy grinned as he looked to her. "I'm not complaining at all, but hungry?"

Sharon rolled her eyes, "I have been traveling most of the day, and I missed lunch. It's also not my normal dinner hour."

"Captain, I'm warning you that I don't want to know where you are living," Provenza pointed out once again. He looked to her, and she nodded to him in return. "So, you're here a couple days. I'm guessing you really can't go anywhere. You're just going to stay right here with Flynn?"

"Pretty much," Sharon grinned as she turned to Andy. "It's nice to be home, and I'll enjoy the time I have here. Is this the infamous wedding book I've heard so much about the last month?" Sharon touched the book and tilted her head as she glanced to Provenza.

"You've told her about that?" Provenza glared at Andy. "Just how often are you two talking?"

"Hmm, depends," she shrugged. "We've tried to stay away from each other, but that's not working. As I said, even Rusty misses Andy."

Provenza nodded as he reached for another slice of pizza, "Well, work has been the same, as I'm sure he's told you, all except for today. Taylor announced today that he's moving Davis into your office officially."

Andy put his head in his hands, "Provenza, really? We didn't need to get into that right now."

"No, Andy, it's okay," Sharon patted his knee as she shook her head, "Winnie Davis is not my first choice for your division head. I am sorry about that and would give anything to march in there tomorrow and tell Taylor just that."

"Oh, that I'd pay to see," Andy chuckled. Provenza nodded in agreement.

"Well, none of us can change anything. We just have to hope that Stroh is caught, dead or alive, soon," Sharon stated. "Now," she tapped the book, "explain this to me, please. I would love to hear these grand plans of yours, and coming from someone who realized a wedding doesn't have to happen in a particular place or time, I'd caution you to listen to what Patrice wants."

"I've been hearing that quite a bit, mostly from your other half," he grimaced as he glanced to Andy. "I'll think about it. She just wants to be married. I want to give her a big wedding," Provenza explained. "She deserves it."

Sharon leaned forward and bumped shoulders with Andy as she focused on Provenza, "Lieutenant, do not get so caught up in the details that you miss the big picture. I almost did that; I did do that here in LA. I was so focused on the idea of our dating and what disaster that might create at work that I failed to see what was in front of me, a wonderful man with whom I was madly in love and already dating. I didn't see it, not until it was almost too late. It hit me hard when they were trying to usher Rusty and me out of the building. I'm glad Andy fought for me, for us, and I'm glad he wouldn't give up on finding me. Even then, I'm glad he persisted, put the idea in my head to get married and let me process it. It's the best decision I've, we've ever made," she smiled softly as she squeezed Andy's hand. "If Patrice wants to marry you tomorrow at city hall, then make her happy."

"I'll consider that, Captain," he sighed as he shook his head. "You two, married, it's like the worlds are colliding, good vs. goof up." Sharon and Andy closed their eyes as they laughed at Provenza. They opened them to find Provenza starting to stand up. "I'm going to get out of here. I've already taken in more information tonight than I ever imagined."

"Don't you want to know how Rusty is doing?" Sharon grinned at Provenza. "He asks about you when Andy is there."

Provenza tried to brush off the comment, but he ended up nodding, "How is Rusty?"

"Doing well, very well," Sharon smiled. Andy nodded in agreement. "He's going to graduate with an associate's degree soon, May, and then, he decided to go onto a four-year-college."

"Really?" Provenza asked. "He's found one that will take him?" he held back a grin.

"He did," Sharon smiled. "He's already applied and been admitted. He'll start in the fall. Rusty is really living his life, and he's safe and happy, things he couldn't be here in LA if we were constantly watching our backs."

"Tell Rusty I am proud of him," Provenza nodded to Sharon. "I'm glad to hear he is doing well, and tell him when he's about had it with his new dear old dad," he flashed a smirk to Andy, "that I have stories, many stories about him and will gladly share. I just wish I could take the kid out for a burger. I'd actually enjoy that right now."

"He would too," Sharon offered a soft smile. Andy looked to her, and they both stood with Provenza.

"Look, I guess I'll run you home," Andy told Provenza.

"I can call Patrice, tell her you are too tired," Provenza offered.

"Wow, Provenza, that's actually you almost being nice," Andy grinned.

"It's late," Sharon offered, "and dark. We can take you home, Lieutenant. I think I'd enjoy the ride."

Andy and Provenza looked to her, and she just shrugged. Andy sighed, as he looked back to Provenza. "You married her," Provenza shrugged too. "Deal with that," he gestured to Sharon. "You're the idiot who thought you could change her mind about anything. She's got you so tightly wrapped around her finger, you are actually considering letting her ride around in your car, in LA, late into the evening, while there's a serial killer hunting her."

"Oh, just go to the car, and let her ride in the front," Andy gestured to Provenza. "You know we aren't going to change her mind, and we are, after all, three trained police officers."

"Yes, but only two of us have a gun, and she's rusty after being gone for a year," Provenza sputtered.

Sharon raised her eyebrows, "I can hear you, and I can speak for myself," she enunciated. "I am not the least bit rusty. I still go to a local range once a month or so. It's dark, and I would enjoy getting out, seeing a little of LA. I am quite homesick."

"I knew you were trouble," Provenza grumbled as he collected his things and started for the door. He opened the door and started to the car, while Andy eyed Sharon. She just shrugged.

"We will be fine, Andy," she grinned. "I'm not asking you to do anything crazy," she told him. "Maybe we could just drive by the condo?"

"No," he shook his head, "not happening. You may have snuck out here to LA, Raydor or Flynn, or whatever your name will be when this is all over with Stroh, but we are not going to drive down memory lane while you are here. You're confined to either my car, with me driving, or this house, our house," he specified.

She smiled brightly, "For once, I will agree to those terms and let you enforce the rules."

"Flynn! Let's get going oh, and grab my wedding notebook," they heard from Provenza.

Sharon tried not to laugh as she picked up the notebook. She flipped through it and looked to Andy, "I love you." He tugged on her hand, and he pulled her in quickly to give her a kiss.

"I love you, and I'm secretly glad my rule-abiding wife decided it was okay to break the rules for a few days," he grinned. He kissed her again.

She pulled back and looked to him, her eyes sparkling, "I learned from the best, you know, about the gray areas."

"Flynn! Let's go. This cold you are coming down with, you know, which will force you to call in sick the next few days, isn't going to get any better until you get me home."

Andy started to laugh this time as the two walked out the door. "See, Provenza, he's a big romantic himself, suggesting sick days."

Sharon faked a cough, "I think I'm coming down with it myself. Best get the lieutenant home and then return to the house. I don't think we should leave for the next two days."


	45. Chapter 45

Andy woke up to dark hair in his face, and he decided it might be the best way to wake up. He tried not to shift much, but Sharon, who seemed to awaken with any movement, woke up anyway.

"Hi," she grinned at him, her head, which had been resting on his shoulder, turned to look at him. She brushed her hair out of her face and away from Andy as she put her chin on his chest.

"Morning," he grinned back at her and leaned in to kiss her quickly. He ran his hand over her hair as he just continued to look at her. "I was afraid I was dreaming, that my sexy wife hadn't broken every rule to fly out here and see me."

Sharon blushed slightly as she shifted to prop up her elbow on Andy's chest, "She missed you," Sharon shrugged. "Plus, I heard you had called in sick to work, for the next couple days, to be exact, and of course, I had to check on you."

"Of course," he smiled at her. "So, plans for the day?" he raised an eyebrow as the two continued to relax before getting up.

"Just this, here with you," she gestured to the their relaxing morning. "I guess I'd like to eat at some point too. I'm rather hungry."

"Well, that's where I have a bit of bad news for you. I'm going to have to go out for groceries. I've been working quite a bit, and it was on my list of things to do this coming weekend. With you here, and my being sick and all," he let out a fake cough, "I'm going to have to run out to the store."

"That's a shame," she nodded, "but, I would enjoy eating. Do you have any food in your house? Anything? Surely, you aren't going to let your wife starve."

"I think I have eggs," he nodded. "I might have enough to scramble some eggs, and I might still have some bread. Now, I know you enjoy your bacon, but I don't have that. I'll have to get some at the store, as well as things for lunch and dinner the next couple days. I'll treat it like we're snowed in or something."

"Snowed in here in LA," she grinned as she lazily drew circles on his chest, "I like that, at least better than the reality of the snowed in Ohio version."

"First thing," he nodded to her, "shower and food."

"Can we do both together?" she grinned. "I mean, I don't want to let you out of my sight. I haven't since I got here last night. We returned Provenza to his place, we drove home, and well, I don't think we've been further apart than this," she gestured to him, "since we walked back in that door."

"Is there any other option?" he grinned. "Although, your lavender body wash isn't my normal scent."

"I can keep it, and me," she flashed a fake smile, "away from you if the scent bothers you."

"Nope, I'm very excited to change up the fragrance here at the house. If you would have given me some warning, I would have done a deep clean of the house. Sorry the bedroom is somewhat messy."

Sharon turned her head and glanced around as she shrugged, "No mess to me, nothing, except for clothing from last night."

"Well," he leaned down and kissed her nose, "why don't you go start in the bathroom, and I'll clean up the mess you made."

"Ha ha, very funny," she rolled her eyes. "Just for that, I will let you clean up the room, and I may or may not share the bathroom."

"We'll get dressed, and then we can make some breakfast. I'll go out for groceries, and you can relax. Oh," he grinned at Sharon as she got out of bed and stretched, "you, my dear, will be happy to know that I have somewhat of a gift for you."

"A gift?" she raised her eyebrows.

"My checkbook has numbers in it," he winked to her. "You can drool over that while I'm at the store. You didn't' realize you married me for my money." Sharon's laugh could be heard as she shook her head and walked to the bathroom. Andy sighed as he stretched out and enjoyed the quiet morning they were having. It was amazing having Sharon back in LA, almost a dream come true. He couldn't believe she had to leave again soon, and he thought just how wonderful it would be to really have his wife living with him in his, no their, home. The idea seemed so far-fetched, he almost couldn't imagine a time in the future it could be true. As he continued to let his mind wander, he thought about their life together before witness protection. Andy wasn't sure they would be where they were right now, married, but he knew some of that had come from the circumstances. Sure, Andy was certain they would have at least been dating. They had been working toward that for a long time, but he wasn't certain that the two would have taken the steps they had. Work would have complicated things, that much he knew. Sharon would have wanted to tread lightly with the team, even though the two had done a good job of keeping their personal life out of the office. Andy decided that while everything happened for a reason, witness protection might, in a twisted way, have helped their relationship.

"I'm really getting hungry," he heard Sharon call out over the noise of the shower, and he chuckled. That was her way of encouraging him to hurry up with his shower, so he moved quickly to enjoy a day off with his wife.

The two enjoyed their quiet morning, and after they'd finished their breakfast, Sharon offered to clean up the kitchen while Andy ran to the store.

"I shouldn't be too long," he told her as he collected his keys. "I've got to pick up my dry cleaning too; I'm long overdue for that, but I'll be back as soon as I can." Sharon nodded, and Andy walked up to kiss her quickly. "Love you. I'm so happy you are here for a couple days. It almost feels normal, you know, us, here in LA, in the house, married," he shrugged.

She had her hands on his shoulders, "I know," she grinned. "I like it too. I wish I could go with you, drive around to some of our normal places, but I will enjoy what I can."

"Don't work too hard here," he nodded to the kitchen. "Relax, find a movie to enjoy, pour over my balanced checkbook," he winked to her. Sharon laughed as she waved him off to the store.

Andy didn't take long at the grocery store; in fact, he flew through the store. He hadn't lied to Sharon when he'd told her he needed to pick up his dry cleaning, but he hadn't told her that he wanted to pick up a few additional things. He'd picked up a nice bouquet of flowers while at the grocery store, opting to get them there because it would save time. He had decided to get her some nice lingerie, and while he knew she worked at a department store and could buy it for herself, he had decided that he could spoil his wife with something very tasteful and very Sharon-like. He'd not bought her anything before, and with her visit, he thought it was the perfect thing to get her. He knew of her taste, and while he'd not shopped with her for items of that nature or even seen her in anything like this when she lived in LA, he knew where she liked to shop. So, he quickly collected his groceries and set out for the upscale shopping area. It was further away than he wanted, much closer to downtown, but Andy didn't know of other places to shop. He hadn't exactly bought anything like this in a very long time.

Andy didn't want to get stuck in the store for a long time; he wanted to pick up something for Sharon and get home. Time was ticking, and he wanted to enjoy every minute Sharon was in town. Because it was early, the store wasn't busy; it had just opened. So, he parked and quickly moved to the store, grateful there weren't other customers inside.

"May I help you?" the saleswoman asked as Andy walked through the door and looked around the store.

"Ahh, yeah," he nodded. "I'm shopping for my wife," he grinned. "This is her favorite store. I'm looking for something classy, maybe a nightgown and robe set. She likes those and gets cold easily. I'm just looking for something nice, as a gift, something she'll enjoy."

"That shouldn't be a problem," the woman offered a small smile to Andy. "Now, do you know her size and preferences-colors, style, all that, things like lace or no lace, satin, silk?"

"Yes, size I can do," he nodded. "If we find something, size isn't a problem. Lace, yes, she likes lace. I'd say either something dark, navy blue or purple, or the opposite, very light. Nothing too crazy," he chuckled. The saleswoman showed Andy around the store where he looked at a few items. After he'd looked at several things, he told her, "I think that second one you showed me, the set in the deep purple, she'd like that the best."

"Very nice choice," the woman smiled. "I can box it and wrap it with a bow if you'd like?" she offered.

"That would be perfect," Andy nodded. He followed the woman to the cash register, and he paid for the item. After he'd signed the credit card slip, the saleswoman told him to give her a minute.

"I'll get this all wrapped for you, just give me a few moments," she nodded to him and then turned to her wrapping area. Andy just nodded and looked around the store as he waited. He turned his head when he heard the bell ring, indicating another customer had entered.

Andy caught a glimpse of the door, and he did a double take. He started to panic as he turned back to the saleswoman, who was just finishing with the bow. He muttered under his breath as he sighed.

"I'll be right with you," the saleswoman called out to the customer. She turned back to Andy with the box, just at the moment Andrea walked up to the counter.

"I'm just here in need of hosiery," Andrea told the saleswoman. "I'm due in court, and I ran my pantyhose. Lieutenant," she said, wide-eyed, as she reached the counter and recognized Andy. "I must say of all the people in LA, I think you might be last on my list I'd expect to run into here of all places."

"Hobbs," Andy flashed a fake smile. "Oh, I just came in for a gift," he turned back to the saleswoman and nodded to the package. "Thank you for wrapping that," he nodded to her.

"My pleasure, and I hope she enjoys it," the woman smiled as she handed over the box. Andrea eyed the box and then turned to Andy, the same question in her eye. Andy just offered a quick nod to the woman and tried to avoid eye contact with Andrea.

"I've got to get going," Andy nodded. "Hobbs, good luck in court," he told her. "Nice to see you."

"Ahh, yes, nice to see you too," Andrea frowned, as she was still trying to piece everything together. "It's been awhile since I've seen you at work. Last case I caught with your division, you were out of town or at least had the day off."

"Yeah," Andy just nodded. "Busy, which reminds me," he glanced to his watch just to act like he had a schedule, "I need to get going. Take care." Andy darted out of the store before Andrea could say anything. He didn't take a deep breath until he was seated in the car again. Hobbs, of course, he saw her. She had the same taste as Sharon, and Andy knew that Sharon and Andrea had often gone out to dinner and shopping together before the whole Stroh mess. With the store being near downtown, of course, Andrea would shop there, and it was just Andy's luck she needed pantyhose for court. He took a deep breath, eyed his new purchase, and he sighed. Sharon was worth it, but keeping secrets from their family and friends certainly was harder than he'd expected.

It was almost lunch before he arrived home. He knew Sharon would wonder what had taken him so long, but he quickly gathered the groceries and headed into the house.

"Let me help you with those," Sharon leaned up and kissed Andy on the cheek as she collected some of the bags from him. He nodded his thanks and disappeared to the car to get the rest of the items. When he returned, Sharon was in the kitchen unpacking the groceries and putting them away.

"This jumped into my cart for you," he grinned as he produced the flowers and the gift. Sharon turned, and her eyes grew wide as she looked at her gift.

"When did you have time to shop?" she giggled.

"This morning. I think I broke a record at the store for the fastest grocery shopping trip. I need to be on one of those game shows where they race around and throw food in the cart. You might want to check the eggs," he nodded toward the refrigerator. "I can't promise they are all intact."

Sharon continued to laugh as her smile grew wider and wider. "Thank you. The flowers are beautiful, and I'll happily enjoy them while I am here. As for this gift," she looked to the box and pursed her lips, "that store is nowhere near the house."

He shrugged, "Worth it. I know where you shop, Raydor," he winked. "I had luck on my side that it was after rush hour, so traffic wasn't completely awful. I did run out of luck, though, at the store."

"Why?" she gave him a puzzled look as she accepted the box.

"Ahh, well," he sighed, "I did just fine buying this," he nodded to the box. "I hope you like it, and the woman was very helpful. I was two minutes from being out of the store, two minutes, but I ran into Hobbs."

"Andrea?" Sharon's shocked expression registered on her face. "Oh, I miss Andrea. Andy, what did Andrea say seeing you there? Did she see whatever you bought?" Sharon grimaced at the thought.

"No, no, at least that was a positive. I was literally accepting the box from the saleswoman, when Andrea came in looking for pantyhose for court. She didn't see what I bought, but as she pointed out, she was shocked to see me in a women's lingerie store in LA, of course, it's the middle of the day too."

Sharon groaned, as she shook her head. "Well, I can't wait to hear what she says to you about that. Maybe you can suggest it was something for Nicole?"

Andy grimaced, "I don't want to think of shopping for Nicole there, Sharon, really. I mean, she's my baby, and no, that store is not for a dad to shop for his daughter, but yeah, I'll go with that," he sighed.

"Well, we can't undo that, and as you said, she didn't see what you bought. You got out of there before explaining anything, so what do you say we look at my gift?" she grinned.


	46. Chapter 46

It felt like a normal evening. Neither Andy nor Sharon realized just how much they had craved a normal evening until they now had one. It had been a good day. Aside from running into Andrea at a lingerie store, the two hadn't had any other "hiccups" in their day. The two had relished in the mundane tasks of the day to include putting away groceries, cleaning up from lunch, and discussing household topics like finances. The two rarely had an opportunity to just be a married couple, and they were savoring each minute. That didn't mean they hadn't enjoyed other aspects of their married life. Sharon had enjoyed her gift; Andy had too, perhaps even more than Sharon. She'd unwrapped it after lunch, and then she'd had a brief fashion show for Andy. Andy put a quick end to the fashion show, and the two ended up in their bedroom most of the afternoon enjoying each other and some much-needed rest. Now, it was into the evening, and the two had just cleaned up from their dinner. They'd had a salad for lunch, so for dinner, Andy had grilled out fish for them while Sharon had steamed some vegetables. The menu provided for a relatively easy cleanup, and now that they were done, they were cuddled on the couch to relax with the television. After their afternoon, both had changed into comfortable clothing; Sharon was now wearing leggings and a light sweater without socks, and Andy had changed into running pants and a t-shirt. Sharon was curled up into Andy's side, her feet tucked under her, and Andy had his arm around her.

"Hmm, can we watch that police drama?" Sharon asked as Andy scrolled through the guide options. He glanced at her with a surprised look. She shrugged, "I am a detective without a job. I miss it. I've gotten into that show. It's a lot like Mike's show."

"Oh, are we going to go rounds about that again?" Andy sighed. "It's not his show, and if it the show you like," he gestured to the television, "is anything like that, we might have our first marital disagreement."

Sharon grinned at his annoyance, and she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Please turn it on. You'll get sucked into it just as I have. The police part is well done, better than most on tv, and if you don't like it, we won't have to watch it together again."

He eyed her as he frowned, "You only say that because we live apart most of the time."

She shrugged, "Still, I won't make you watch it. It's better than Badge," she nodded. He rolled his eyes, but he turned it on and tucked Sharon into his side. The two got caught up in the story, but Andy's phone caused both to jump.

Andy paused the show while Sharon sat up so Andy could move to answer his phone on the coffee table. "Nicole," he explained as he took the call and looked to Sharon. "Hi, Sweetheart," he told her as he switched to speakerphone. "What's up?"

"Dad, are you okay? I tried calling your cell this afternoon, and when you didn't answer, I figured you were working a case. Then, I called the station just now to see if you wanted to come over for dinner. I figured if you were working so hard, you could use a home-cooked meal. They told me you were out sick, and Dad, I'm worried! I'm on my way there now to check on you," she said.

Andy's eyes grew wide, as did Sharon's. She shook her head at Andy, as if he didn't have the exact same thought, "No, no!" Andy exclaimed. "Look, I'm okay, but don't come here tonight. Really, I'm fine."

"Dad, I'm worried about you. You don't answer, and I have to find out from your work you are sick. What is going on with you? If you're sick, please let me know. Do you need to see the doctor?"

"Nicole," Andy sighed, "really, I'm okay. I'm just taking a couple days, really tired and worn out. I'm not as young as I'd like to think," he chuckled. Sharon held back her own laugh, as she stood and walked to the kitchen, gesturing to her glass that she was going to get a refill. She nodded to Andy, a silent question if he wanted a refill too, and he nodded while he tried to refocus his attention on Nicole.

"Dad, look, I know things have been rough this last year, and I know I've been really busy with the boys and Dean, but we are here for you. If you're depressed or thinking about drinking, talk to me. I don't like hearing you are home just alone."

"Nicole, I'm fine, and no, I'm not depressed or thinking of drinking. Look, I'll be back at work the day after tomorrow. I've enjoyed my day, and I'm going to enjoy tomorrow too. I'm getting some rest, and right now, I'm just relaxing by the television. You don't need to come over here now. It's out of your way anyway," he told her as Nicole lived only a couple miles from Sharon's condo.

"Still, I'm worried," Nicole sighed.

"How about we get together for dinner this weekend? I'm not on call," Andy told her.

"Definitely," Nicole told him. "You get some rest, and I'll check on you soon."

"Will do, and go home. Don't come here. You've had a long day yourself," he told her.

"Love you, Dad," Nicole said.

"Love you too," Andy smiled and hung up. He leaned his head back against the couch as Sharon walked over with two fresh glasses of water to rejoin him.

"While it would have been disastrous for her to show up tonight, it is sweet that she cares about you," Sharon smiled as she handed him the water. He nodded.

"I know, but we just can't risk her getting involved in this. I can't ask her to lie to so many people," he shook his head and sighed.

"I know," Sharon nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he pulled her into his side as the two got comfortable again. "Let's finish this show. I think we are safe tonight, no Nicole," he chuckled.

Sharon grinned, "So, you like the show?"

He rolled his eyes as he met her gaze, "I haven't made a final decision. The show isn't over yet."

"Andy," Sharon sighed, "we have three minutes left in the show. You asked to finish it. Admit you like it," she grinned.

"I guess I can suffer though it each week, you know, to give us something to talk about on the phone," he shrugged.

"Right," she smirked, "because after not talking for sometimes a full week, we need conversation starters."

"Married life," Andy sighed. Sharon poked his side, and he grinned. Quickly, he started to tickle her side, and the last three minutes of the show were quickly forgotten.

The next morning found the two well-rested and ready to spend another full day together.

"Anything you would like to do today?" Andy asked Sharon from the sink where he was washing the last of their breakfast dishes while Sharon was standing by the table replying to a text Rusty had sent her. She put the phone down and turned to Andy. "Within reason," he glared at her and grinned before she could suggest going anywhere or doing something that would blow her cover.

"Yard work," she nodded, proud of herself.

"Yard work?" Andy questioned, the surprise evident on his face.

"Yes, your yard and bushes need some work. I'm here; you're here, so let's work," she shrugged.

Andy put down the dish towel and walked toward her. "You feeling okay?" he asked as he reached for her head to pretend he was checking for a fever. "You want to do yard work?"

"Yes, as I said, it needs to be done. Your bushes need to be trimmed, and the lawn needs to be cut. I know it's never fully winter here, but it's time for the spring trim. Don't look so surprised," she grinned at him. "I've grown rather fond of yard work. When the kids were little, I hated it because Jack was gone, and on top of working full time and raising the kids, it was just another thing on my plate. I hated it. Then, as the kids got older, it was just a chore. I moved into the condo, and I didn't miss it at all. Since Rusty and I have moved to Ohio, I've come to appreciate it again. I enjoy it, getting outside and improving things. I really like it now. I feel like, unlike housework, the yard looks good for a few days after it's been spruced up."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?" he grinned as he loosely wrapped his arms around her. "Sharon wants to do yard work," he mumbled to himself as Sharon started to laugh.

"Stop," she giggled. "We are not going to just sit here all day. Don't get me wrong that yesterday was wonderful, but your ideas include that room," she pointed to the bedroom, "and that room only. We can get outside, get some fresh air, and get some exercise."

Andy looked to the ceiling as if contemplating his options, "Or, we can open the windows in the bedroom, stay there all day, and we still get some exercise."

She swatted at his chest, "Andrew Flynn, we are going to spend some time together outside doing normal married activities."

"Hey! I also have normal married activities on my mind. You can't fault me for that," he told her.

"Later," she enunciated. "That, we can do after dark. We cannot work on your yard after dark. Come on," she nudged him. "I'll even volunteer to trim all the bushes. I enjoy that at home, at least when my bushes are not buried under a couple feet of snow. It's a beautiful day, early spring in LA, and I'd love to spend time outside. The backyard is private, so we can enjoy it. The trees block anyone from seeing us," she offered. Andy grinned, and as if Sharon could read his mind, she shook her head, "We are not combining your activity with mine outside."

He frowned, and she stood on her tip toes to kiss him quickly. Before he could pull her in for another kiss, she pulled back and winked at him. "Let's get going, Flynn. I know you have a garage full of equipment. I'm looking forward to sprucing up the house even if I don't live here."

"Our house," Andy nodded as he followed her to the back door. "It's always our house, no matter where you have to live. Just you wait, if anything happens to me, this castle is all yours," he grinned. "I mean, legally, we both own it now, but it's all yours if something happens to me."

"Why are we talking about that?" Sharon wrinkled her nose as they stepped outside. "Are you hoping that Nicole is sitting there as the lawyer announces the house goes to your wife, who legally would have the same name as Nicole's own mother? Are you seeing that play out in your head, that Nicole would find out about me then? Andy, do not go there."

He shrugged, "Hey, I'd be gone by then, so Nicole could just get mad at you. It would be almost comical, though, for her to think that her mom was getting everything when the lawyer would mention my wife, Sandra," he grinned. "Almost comical. Then, you could enter. Yeah, I can see it."

"Stop," she shook her head. "That's not going to happen. We're going to find Stroh and come home, and you aren't going anywhere for many, many decades."

It took another 15 minutes to set up the tools and plan their attack, but then Sharon started in on the bushes while Andy started cutting the grass. They worked independently for another half hour. Andy cut the front and the backyard, and Sharon worked slowly on each bush. Andy walked up to her with a bottle of water after he'd put the lawn mower away.

"Did you leave any greenery at all?" he grimaced as he looked at her sculpting job. Sharon had not just trimmed the bushes. She'd cut them back so much there was almost nothing left.

"What's wrong with them?" she paused and stepped back to inspect. She looked to Andy with a bit of annoyance.

"It's just that there's almost nothing left," he gestured. "You murdered the bushes. You're a police captain and committed murder. You can't murder the bushes. What did they do to you?"

Sharon pursed her lips, "I didn't murder the bushes. They look good, yes, much smaller, but they will grow quickly. If you don't keep them trimmed, they will get out of control quickly, as they were starting to do. It's a lot like you and Provenza. If I didn't keep the two of you in check, you could quickly get out of line."

"Hey! I have been on my best behavior the past few years since you started with us," he nodded.

"I know, and that's what is scary. Let's discuss some of the situations you two still found yourselves getting into the last few years," she grinned as her eyes sparkled.

"Oh, no," he shook his head. "Way to try and distract me from the real topic, Radyor, your pruning skills here. My poor bushes look terrible."

"Hmm, so now they are YOUR bushes? Earlier, you said it was our house, our yard. Your bushes look very nice and tidy. They look clean and will now grow into a nice shape for the spring and summer."

Andy shook his head and turned away. He started to laugh as he turned back to Sharon, "Are we arguing about the yard?"

"I suppose we are," Sharon shrugged as she grinned. "It feels almost-" she stopped.

"Normal," Andy nodded. "It feels normal."

The day ended much faster than either would have liked. After they finished their yard work, where Andy promised not to complain about the bushes again, they got cleaned up and made some lunch. They sat down and discussed finances again, as they hated boring topics such as that when they were able to enjoy their brief phone calls. They looked at some websites online regarding their spring break trip to Florida, and soon, it was time for dinner. Andy had plans for a romantic, candlelight dinner, and he only clued in Sharon when she started to dig around to make dinner.

"Nope! I'm making dinner," he gestured for her to head toward the bedroom.

"No, not yet," she grinned at him. "I'm hungry and would like to eat before we move onto your activity for the evening."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Raydor," Andy winked at her. "I was suggesting you go take a nice bubble bath while I make dinner for us. I might have picked up a bottle of wine for you at the store, and I decided to make a simple spaghetti. You go, and I'll get started on dinner." Sharon just nodded, and when she reappeared almost a half hour later, Andy had transformed the patio.

"What is all this?" she smiled, as she wrapped her arms around him at the stove.

"Well, someone was dead set on sprucing up the yard. With that done, I figured we should enjoy our patio dining. Dinner is almost ready and will be served outside," he said as he turned in her arms. He reached over to where he had a glass of wine already poured for her and handed it to her. "For you," he grinned. Sharon closed her eyes to laugh as she shook her head.

"Andy Flynn, I am going to miss you when I leave in the morning," she sighed.

"You're just figuring that out?" he winked to her and grinned as he pulled her to his side and kissed her head.

The morning came way too early. Sharon had a very early flight back to Ohio. She'd done that because of the time of day as well as to not interfere with Andy's work day. It was nice he'd been able to take a couple of sick days and Provenza had covered, but Sharon knew he was needed back at work.

"I don't see what the big deal is about taking you to the airport. You're my wife. I look like a jerk, just putting you in a taxi and sending you away. I can drop you off and then go to work. I'll just be early," he explained to her that morning, as it was still well before 5:00.

"No, we discussed this last night. It's safer if I just take a taxi. I'm gone, off on my own, and you can get back to life without me here. No one will see you at the airport, and it's just easier. I can travel almost incognito," she said.

He frowned, "I don't like this."

"I don't either, Andy, but it's safer. We both know it was a risk to come here. It's been wonderful, but we have to keep our guard up still. I've called my ride, and once I leave, you can get ready for work."

Andy just nodded. He knew arguing more was pointless, and he didn't want his final moments with Sharon to involve a silly argument, so he helped her pack her things. He carried them to the door, and she looked to her watch.

"My ride should be here in another few minutes," she said.

"Do you have everything?" he asked as he eyed her outfit. She was traveling in the same, dull clothing, plain jeans, a black shirt, and a hoodie with a ballcap on her head.

"Yes, I think I have everything," she smiled softly as she looked to him. "We will see each other in just a couple weeks. It won't be that bad. I'm very glad I came out here to see you," she told him as she wrapped her arms around him. He rested his head on hers.

"I'm so happy you came, and I wish I could tell the whole team how you broke the rules," he grinned. "One day Provenza can back me up. He knows you broke the rules, and when all this is over, I'm going to tell everyone you are quite the rule breaker."

"Hmm, that might just be your bad influence," she said quietly. They stood there in the silence as they held each other.

"You know I love you," Andy told her as he kissed her head. She nodded, and he could tell she was starting to cry.

"I love you too," she sniffled out and turned her head away.

"Hey, it's okay," he said quietly. A horn alerted them to Sharon's ride. Andy pulled back and looked at her. He wiped the tear forming. "It's a couple weeks," he shrugged.

She nodded, and she leaned up to kiss him. Andy held her tightly as the two kissed for a few more seconds. When the pulled apart, Andy nodded to her bag, "I'll get your bag."

Sharon nodded, but she didn't say anything. She turned and looked at the house, as she smiled slightly. "I'm so glad we could just be," she nodded. "We could just be here, together, at home, and it felt normal."

Andy nodded and opened the door, "It did. It was exactly what I wanted, normal. Anything else?" he gestured to her bag. Sharon picked up her purse, and she shook her head.

"No, this is it," she nodded. Andy returned the nod and gestured for her to walk outside in front of him. As the two walked toward Sharon's ride, she smiled to him, "I did leave a couple of things."

He looked to her with a questioning gaze, "What did you leave?"

She grinned, "I might have left my present here. It belongs here. It belongs in LA. I will only wear it when I'm in LA."

He grinned back at her, "Well, it will only be reserved for you. I only have eyes for you, Sweetheart. I hope you don't ever question that, question that I'm sitting here, day after day, alone, and miserable for you."

Sharon burst out laughing, "To anyone else, that sounds pitiful," she told him. They both nodded to the driver, and he popped the trunk for Andy to place Sharon's bag. He put her bag inside, and then he turned to face her, his arms on her shoulders.

"I'll look at your gift and remember you in it," he smiled. "I'll also hope for the day you can return here for good to wear it all the time."

"All the time?" she teased as she raised her eyebrows.

"Well, maybe not to work. Work is reserved for your skirts and dresses, oh, and your boots. Love the boots. Your lingerie, well, I get that present all the time at home," he grinned.

"Ahh, so Rusty would enjoy it when he's home and say, I'm cooking dinner?" she teased.

Andy shrugged, "Kid tells us all the time we have scarred him for life, so sure. He's an adult now, so he's aware of what goes on. We are married," he grinned.

Sharon laughed again as she once again leaned up to kiss Andy. "I love you."

"I love you too. Be safe, and let me know you're okay," he nodded to her.

"I will, and when you get home tonight, enjoy the lavender wash I left in the shower," she winked.

Andy groaned, "Oh, you left that? I'll never get you out of my head."

"That's the plan," she smiled. She squeezed his hand and slipped into the car. She closed the door before he could say anything more. Andy offered a small wave, and he stood there as the car pulled away. The car started down the street, taking her away, his Sharon, his love, his wife. He just hoped this whole mess would end soon so he would never have to walk away from her again.


	47. Chapter 47

Andy was cleaning up from his breakfast and ready for work when he had another knock at his door. He knew it couldn't be Sharon; she'd left over an hour ago and would be at the airport by now. He figured Provenza was there to make sure he actually went to the office. He frowned as he moved to the door, ready to deal with his annoyance.

"What!" he exclaimed as he opened the door and instantly felt badly about his attitude. Nicole jumped at the greeting. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart," he sighed. "I thought Provenza was here to drag me to work."

Nicole gave a slight nod as she looked her dad up and down, "Well, I had a similar idea. I wanted to come by and check on you myself. You told me not to come by at dinner, so I decided to come for breakfast." She gave a slight smile to her dad. "I'm guessing if you thought I was Provenza, I'm not the only one worried about you."

Andy let out a long sigh and gestured to the house, "Come on in. Really, Nic, I'm fine," he shook his head. "You didn't have to stop by. See," he pointed to his suit and tie, "dressed for work. I just was about to leave." He reached to her and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "It is good to see you; I am not complaining."

Nicole frowned slightly, "Oh, it's early. I thought I would catch you early enough for breakfast. I was going to suggest we go for coffee at that shop a couple blocks over you like. I know they have good bagels and muffins, and yes, I wanted to see you for myself. I'm worried about you. You never take a day off work, even when you've been sick, you hate being home. In December, you were practically climbing the walls to go back to work after your surgery, so hearing that you've been home a couple days is a little odd."

Andy grimaced, "I just needed some down time. Breakfast sounds really nice, it does, but I just ate. I was up early, and well, I'm heading in early. Since I've been out, I thought I would get a start on the day." Andy moved to the kitchen to finish the dishes and gestured for Nicole to follow him. She rested her arms on the bar area while Andy finished at the sink. "Maybe we can take a raincheck on breakfast?"

Nicole thought a moment and nodded, "How about lunch? I have a meeting today at lunch, but I could meet you tomorrow if you are free?"

Andy thought a moment, "That works for me. Where do you want to meet?"

"I know your schedule is tighter than mine, so what if I meet you at work?" Nicole suggested. "We can eat somewhere near your office."

"Okay, yeah," Andy smiled at her. "It's a date," he winked to her. "Can I get you a cup of coffee while you are here? I'm sorry you drove all the way out here."

Nicole shook her head, "No, I already drank my travel mug on the way here. I'll just get more at work if I need it later. Really, I just wanted to see if you were okay. Dean took the boys this morning, and this was important, my stopping by," she gave a soft smile. "Dad, why do you have flowers?" she eyed the bouquet in the vase on the table suspiciously and looked to Andy.

"Oh," he paused, "I did some work in the yard the last couple days. While I was at the nursery getting mulch, the woman there gave them to me, said they were about to die," he chuckled to himself, proud of his on-the-spot fib to Nicole. "She told me to take them home, and I didn't have the heart to tell her there was no one at home who would enjoy the flowers."

Nicole just nodded as she listened. She saw the look on Andy's face change, and she sighed, "Oh, Dad," she moved around the counter to hug Andy. He pulled her in tightly.

"I'm fine, Nic. Really, I promise," he told her. "Good, actually."

"You smell like lavender," she told him as she pulled back and looked to the flowers.

"Oh," he shrugged it off, "you know, those flowers," he flashed a fake grin. Nicole looked again and just nodded even though she didn't see lavender in the flowers.

"Listen, I do need to get going. Lunch, tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Yes, lunch," and before she could finish, Andy's phone rang. He looked at the caller id, and nodded to Nicole.

"Provenza, just give me a minute, and I'll walk out with you," he explained.

"I'll just use the bathroom," she told him and started down the hall while Andy paced the kitchen with Provenza.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"Are you going to grace us with your presence today, or do you still have that cold?" Provenza asked.

"I'm just leaving. Nicole stopped by as I was on my way out. For once, I was going to beat you to work," Andy told him.

"Nicole, now?" Andy heard the worried tone in Provenza's voice.

"Yeah, all is fine," Andy told him. "It's fine."

While Andy continued his conversation, Nicole used the guest bathroom and then peaked in her dad's room to make sure things appeared in order. He was acting odd, and she couldn't put her finger on it. His bed was neatly made, and the room looked to be in order. She paused and heard him still on the phone, so she stepped inside. She sighed and frowned slightly when she saw a picture of Sharon on his nightstand. She knew he missed her, but he never talked about Sharon around Nicole. She could tell he wasn't drinking; he didn't smell like alcohol, but she wondered if he was sleeping, so she moved into the bathroom to see if he had sleeping pills or anything else out. The counter was clean, very clean, and she nodded that maybe he had just needed a couple days at home. He'd mentioned working in the yard, and the house was clean. As she started to step out, she paused, and her eyes grew wide at the sight of a woman's nightgown hanging on the hook near the shower. That was odd, very odd. She shook her head, trying to make sense of everything. Her dad loved Sharon, but Sharon was gone. Could he be seeing someone? Could it be a casual thing? That would certainly explain the odd behavior and the odd vibes she'd gotten from him on the phone the other night. It was then she noticed a woman's hairbrush on the shelf by the bathtub. She picked it up. Long dark hair strands were on it. Something was going on with her dad. She glanced to her watch and moved quickly, deciding that she'd been snooping long enough. Her dad wasn't ill; he wasn't drinking, but he might have met someone, and for whatever reason, he didn't want to discuss it.

"Nic, I'm ready when you are," she heard her dad call from the kitchen.

"Coming," she smiled to him as she entered the kitchen area. She saw another picture of Sharon with her dad hanging on the kitchen refrigerator, one from a baseball game a couple years ago. Yes, her dad missed Sharon, but she hoped whatever secret he was keeping, he'd clue her in soon.

Andy put Nicole in her car and made his way to work. He still beat Provenza to the office, but only by a few minutes. Mike and Julio had to testify in court, so the day was rather quiet. After shuffling paperwork all day, he had a quiet evening at home. He turned in early, tired from the past days with Sharon. He knew she wouldn't call when she got home; he always wanted to hear her voice, but she was trying to get back to their "limited contact," and he knew he really needed to do a better job of it himself.

The next morning, Andy found himself glancing at his watch, anxious to enjoy lunch with Nicole. After her surprise visit, he decided he needed to spend more time with her. She was trying; he could see that, and he loved his daughter and her family. He was happy about taking her to lunch, and he was determined to figure out a time over the weekend he could either have them over for dinner or go to their house.

It was near noon when Andrea and Emma walked into the room together, followed by Fritz. All eyes turned toward them, as without a case, the office was quiet. Sharon's office was still empty; Davis wasn't officially moving in for another few weeks, and she was currently out of town at a conference.

"Good morning, or I guess afternoon, everyone," Andrea nodded to the room. When she made eye contact with Andy, he just nodded at her, hoping they would never again discuss their run-in at the lingerie store earlier in the week. "As you see, I'm not here alone, nor am I here on a social visit. I asked Emma to come with me and Chief Howard to join us because I have a possible update on Stroh."

"Have you found him?" Andy jumped up out of his chair and almost pounced toward Andrea. He made eye contact briefly with Provenza who nodded for him to cool it.

"No, nothing like that, I'm afraid," Andrea told the room. "There have been things the FBI has alerted our office to that might be related to Stroh. The FBI is working with the district attorney's office with the agreement that whatever information is shared, I will bring here. Emma, being as she is now in a different department within the DA's office, will not be prosecuting this case when," she glared, "because we will find him, but when we find Stroh, it won't be Emma's case. It will now be mine. Emma and your former chief, though have been put on protective status after this latest alert."

"What's the alert, Ma'am?" Julio asked as he leaned forward, slightly concerned.

"A few loose acquaintances of Phillip's have started to turn up, all dead, but all apparent accidents, maybe just a coincidence," she told the room.

"If you believe they are a coincidence, Hobbs, we don't know you at all," Provenza pointed out to her.

"What kind of accidents?" Andy asked as he crossed his arms. "Where? Here in LA?'

"No, all across the United States. Former teacher, a friend from high school, again people who we can loosely tie to Stroh. The FBI only is onto all this because they are tracking his former residences," Andrea explained.

"Because of that, I have to have a police detail," Emma almost stopped, now annoyed. "I'm a lawyer, but I have to worry a serial killer could be lurking."

"But, you're still here," Andy told her. "You weren't yanked from your home and sent away over a year ago, away from everyone who loves you," Andy pointed out to her. All eyes in the room turned to him, but he continued to stare at Emma. She finally just gave a quick nod and turned back to Andrea.

"Look, I made copies of the file and brought it here for your team. I don't think I need to ask that this information will be shared with Chief Taylor and Chief Davis?" she asked.

"I'll personally inform them," Fritz nodded, but he looked to Provenza, "unless you want to do that?"

"No, be my guest," Provenza gestured with his hand. "Anything that keeps me out of a conversation with Taylor AND Davis is a victory for me."

"The paperwork is all here," Andrea held up the file. Andy moved quickly to take it from her so he could start to scan it.

"What about the captain and Rusty?" Amy asked. The room grew silent; it was the question on everyone's mind.

Andrea pursed her lips, "They have been relocated and are in the care of the federal government. If they deem things to be unsafe wherever the captain is, they will move her again. I wish we could change that, but that is protocol." The group all silently nodded while Andy started to scan the file.

"These accidents," he enunciated the words and continued, "come on, we know it's Stroh. Tell me why all of this has been occurring in Pennsylvania and Michigan?"

"Stroh has ties in those two states, as well as Arizona and California," Andrea explained. "Look, it's a loose lead, but most like a lead. The FBI is monitoring all of this, and I want you to all be aware of this since Stroh started as your case. Plus," she gave a sad smile toward Andy, "I know some have more invested in all this."

"So, protective detail for Emma and the chief," Mike nodded. "We'll look at the file, see what we can find?" he asked.

"Yes, please. Your office knows him better than almost anyone. I'm due in court now right after lunch, so if you need anything, let me know," she nodded.

"Hobbs, can I get you to take this paperwork?" Provenza asked, ending the Stroh conversation. The team looked at Andy who was still looking at the file and all started back to their paperwork. They would look at everything after Andrea, Emma, and Fritz left; it was how they worked best. Emma walked to Andy.

"Lieutenant, I just wanted to apologize for earlier," she said. Andy looked to her, and she continued, "Look, I know I was rather hot-headed when I worked here with all of you before. I often speak without thinking, and I know I did just now when I complained about having a protective detail. It's no secret you cared about the captain and her being gone must be hard on you."

Andy nodded, "It is. Thank you. No hard feelings," he said and looked up when he saw movement toward the door. Nicole had arrived, and she glanced over to see Andy patting Emma's arm and smiling at her.

Nicole tried to evaluate the situation. Her dad was definitely involved in some sort of conversation with this woman, a younger woman with dark hair. She watched him pat her arm and smile at her. Nicole wanted to ask, but for now, she would watch; the two were standing close to each other and apparently speaking about a private matter. Her dad, after all, was known for his office romances.

"Hi, Nicole," Buzz called to her and offered a small wave. She waved back, and she turned to Andy who now had stepped away from the woman. Nicole walked toward her dad while Emma threw him a quick nod and moved off down the hall.

Andrea was still in conversation with Provenza when she glanced up and saw Andy with a woman. She looked to Amy, Julio, and Provenza. "Who is that woman with the lieutenant? Is he seeing someone?"

"Ahh, no, at least not her," Amy smiled. "That's his daughter, Nicole."

"He's definitely not dating her," Julio grinned. "No one is; she's married."

"Ahh," she nodded. They all heard Provenza grumble and pick up his crossword while she continued to watch Andy with Nicole.

"Why, do you think he's seeing someone?" Amy asked. "He's been up and down a lot here, and I've been wondering what is going on with him."

"No, well, maybe. I just want him happy again. I saw him coming out of a women's lingerie store, but it could be perfectly harmless," she gestured with her hands. "Maybe it was something for his daughter. I was there because I'd run a pair of hose, so what do I know?"

Provenza groaned in his seat, and they all chuckled. They looked to Provenza, and he put his crossword up to almost cover his face.

"Sir, I know you don't want to hear about the lieutenant's love life, even if it isn't with the captain," Julio grinned.

"Idiot," Provenza grumbled, and the group chuckled as they turned their attention back to Andy.

"Guys, Sykes," Andy nodded, "I'm taking Nicole to lunch. Oh, Hobbs, this is my daughter, Nicole."

"Hi, Nicole. Nice to meet you. Lieutenant, where did Emma go? I'm due in court, and she is giving me a ride," Andrea asked.

"Ahh, she walked that way, maybe toward the restroom," Andy nodded. Nicole just watched everything and everyone.

"Nic, ready to eat?" Andy asked.

Nicole nodded, as she turned to the room, "Good seeing all of you. Keep an eye on my dad," she smiled.

"Oh, don't you worry," Provenza snapped his paper on his desk. "Nicole, I'll personally watch out for the idiot."


	48. Chapter 48

"Can I ask you something?" Nicole looked to her dad as she stabbed another bite of salad. He looked up from his bite with a warm smile. The two had walked down the street to a local deli, a favorite of Andy's as well as Sharon's. He hadn't eaten at the restaurant much since she'd been gone. The team occasionally ordered take-out, but he hadn't eaten in the place in a long time. Knowing Nicole had a lot of similar tastes in food to Sharon, he'd brought her here today.

"Anything," he nodded. "What's up?"

"Who was that woman you were talking to when I arrived?" Nicole asked. Andy thought back to earlier in the day to when Nicole had arrived.

"Hobbs? She's from the DA's office," he looked to her quizzically. "She's usually our DA, so a colleague. Why?"

"No, the other woman, the younger woman, dark hair like mine," Nicole pointed out.

Andy thought again, "Rios?" he made a face.

"So, she's not a friend of yours?" Nicole tilted her head as she tried to read her father's reaction. He certainly seemed surprised to be discussing this woman.

"No, not at all," Andy chuckled as he wiped his mouth. "Emma Rios, another one from the DA's office. She used to be on the Stroh case, but quite frankly, she didn't fit with Major Crimes. She's in a different division now, but she'd come over with Hobbs. They are putting her under protective detail," Andy sighed.

Nicole's eyes grew wide, "Wait, the Stroh case? Has something happened? Is Sharon coming home?" Quickly, the topic seemed to change from quizzing Andy about his dating life to security concerns regarding Stroh.

"I wish," Andy sighed as he shook his head. "The FBI has been trailing some patterns, and no, Sharon and Rusty are not coming home. In fact, Hobbs passed along some information for the team to work on right now. This all needs to end and soon."

Nicole nodded slightly. She watched her dad and could see him tense up at the mention of Stroh and Sharon. "Dad, I know you miss her. It's okay to move on, though. She'd want that, and you don't have to feel badly about it."

"Wait, what?" Andy asked. He looked to her like she was crazy and wondered what she was thinking. "I love Sharon," he simply stated.

"I know, Dad, and I get maybe trying to forget her," she said. Now was not the time to bring up the women's items she had seen at the house. It seemed to her now that he might casually be seeing someone, and that wasn't an easy conversation to have with her father, especially when the relationship seemed to be a lot more intimate than Nicole would like to discuss.

"Look, I'd really like to spend more time with you, Dean, and the boys. Can I make dinner for all of you on Saturday night?" he asked.

Nicole thought and nodded, "Sure," she smiled. "We would like that."

"Great," Andy grinned. "I cleaned up the yard, so there's room for them to play. I also picked up a new bucket of baseballs for them. The few I still have in the garage have seen better days, so why don't all of you come over, early even, say around 4:00?"

"That sounds great," Nicole smiled. "You know they will ask what you are making."

"I'll make my homemade pizza for them. That, and how about I get some ice cream? While not in my diet, I know they love it," he told her.

"Perfect," Nicole said as she glanced to her watch. "I know you probably need to get back to work soon, but we most definitely will talk more on Saturday."

"Yeah," Andy sighed as he looked to his watch. "Duty calls, but we can spend more time together on Saturday, and talk," he nodded at her earlier statement.

Andy walked Nicole to her car before he walked back up to the office. He found that Provenza and Mike had already pulled out an old board and started to put the Stroh case information on it while the rest of the team had been at lunch. He walked up to the men and nodded, "Keeping this out of regular sight," he nodded to the board.

"That's the plan," Mike shrugged at Andy. He patted him on the back, "We're going to figure this out. We all know the FBI can't do it alone. We'll bring the captain home for you."

Andy just nodded and looked to the ground. Provenza continued to put up the information from the folder. "Thank you, both," Andy nodded and gestured, "for doing this. I've tried to let the FBI handle it because we don't have those resources available here, but this is getting ridiculous. Sharon and Rusty deserve better."

Mike looked over and saw Julio returning with bags of food. Andy followed his gaze, and Mike nodded to Andy, but then he stepped away to get his lunch, leaving Andy there with Provenza. The board had been put by Buzz's area, and the team knew they could move it as needed. They weren't necessarily trying to hide it from anyone in particular, but they didn't want it out as their main case for their main board. The Stroh case would take time, and they needed to leave their regular board open.

"Why did I have to hear that you were spotted in a women's lingerie store?" Provenza hissed as he stepped closer to Andy. He kept his voice low to make sure no one else heard their conversation, not that many would ever try to jump into the middle of a Flynn-Provenza discussion. He glared at Andy, as Andy's eyes grew wide.

"Wait, Hobbs told you that?" Andy said, almost a little too loudly. He glanced back to the team, and they were either not there or focused on the food delivery from Julio. Andy sighed, "Of all the times and places in LA, and I had to see her there."

"I do NOT want to hear about your little shopping escapade. It's bad enough I had to hear it once, and now, that image will be burned in my head. I was hoping to eat whatever Julio brought me," he gestured, "and now I have you shopping for women's lingerie for HER all in my head. You are an idiot."

"Look, she's my wife!" Andy said in a rushed, but quiet tone. "You know that now. Like you wouldn't go buy Patrice something. Next time, maybe I'll make you tag along," Andy flashed a grin to Provenza. He knew Provenza didn't want to hear anything further, but he couldn't stop.

"Do not put Patrice into your little world," Provenza gestured. "Really, though? Lingerie store and Hobbs? Are you planning to skywrite that the captain was here? That's just a dumb mistake."

"It was early in the day! I wasn't gone long, and like I said, who would have thought?" Andy threw up his hands, and that caught the attention of Mike and Julio. Buzz had walked in too, and the three were staring at Andy and Provenza, no doubt wondering what argument they had gotten into now.

"Look, I know she's gone now, but keep a lid on it, for my sake and her safety!" Provenza exclaimed. "No more talk of the captain and your lingerie outing," he nodded to Andy and turned to walk away. Andy sighed and returned the nod as he started to study the board.

"Sir, we're going to find this psycho," Julio said as he walked up to Andy who was now standing there with his arms crossed and hand on his face as if he was thinking. Andy nodded as he continued to look at the board.

"I wish I could see a pattern," he nodded to the board. He was glad to see Ohio hadn't been marked, but he had to admit that it made him uneasy to see that Stroh had apparently been sat work in Pennsylvania and Michigan, along with several other states.

"The pattern is not the problem," Julio said as he looked at the board too. "The problem is if you got in his way, he'll find a way to deal with you. I'm glad the captain and Rusty are safe. It would be rough if they were here now, always watching their backs for anything."

Andy continued to nod, but he shook his head at the two different notations on Florida. He didn't have a good feeling about their trip, especially with both "accidents" happening in South Florida. He would have to express his concerns to Sharon, and as much as he hated to say it, he knew they would need to call off their trip and try to keep things quiet again.

Almost as if he was reading Andy's mind, Julio pointed to Florida, "Sir, didn't you say you were thinking of going there for a vacation soon? Maybe you'll find him and take him out yourself."

"Yeah," Andy sighed, "I was thinking of it. I haven't been to Florida, but now, I'm not so sure. I might just need to stay here and focus on this. Besides, I don't want to leave all of you alone with Davis hovering."

Julio chuckled as he nodded, "I'm going to start going through the stack Hobbs sent over since we don't have a case. We all need the captain back here and soon," he told Andy and turned back to his desk. Andy continued to stare at the board. It was sickening the number of places accidents had occurred with each person having some loose connection to Stroh. Sharon and Rusty couldn't be next. Their safety was too important.

The team spent the rest of the week working on the Stroh case. They were all glad to have some down time without another case because it allowed them time to focus. They didn't make any major headway, but by the weekend, Andy was convinced he couldn't in good conscious meet up with Sharon and Rusty for spring break, and he had to encourage them to cancel their plans too. Sharon didn't have the information he did, which was another good reason he could communicate with her. She would want to know that Stroh could be anywhere, but he definitely had ties at one point to South Florida. So, on Saturday, he made the phone call.

"Hi! You caught me just as I am leaving work. I'm meeting Rusty for dinner," she said happily. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said and let out a long breath. "I'm just going to jump into it. We can't go to Florida. It's not safe. Andrea brought us all an updated file this week, and there have been several accidents around the country tied back to he who shall remain nameless. Accidents, but really we know they aren't," Andy explained. "Our vacation, it's too close. Two accidents were in that area."

"Oh," Sharon said surprised. "I see. Ahh, okay, I trust you, and if it's not safe, it's not safe. Are we safe?"

"Looks that way, but as always, keep up your guard. Things appear to be escalating with him. Three of the accidents happened in the last two months. He's been busy, and as much as I hate it, I don't think we should do anything to draw attention right now. I need to stay here through spring break, and you need to find somewhere else to go. It can't be Florida."

"Okay," Sharon told him. "Oh, I wish we could talk about this in a better setting, but I'm not going to ask specifics. I trust you with my life, and I know you aren't telling me this on just a whim. You're worried, and you've thought it through, at least for several days, so okay."

"Thank you," Andy nodded to himself. "I need you safe. Look, I might fly to New York for a long weekend instead since I already have some of that time off and approved. I won't use all the time, but I might go check on Emily, make sure she's okay and nothing is out of the ordinary."

"I appreciate that," Sharon told him. "Thank you. Ricky?"

"I'm talking to Ricky on a regular basis still," he told her. "We've discussed that he keep up his guard. I'll talk to him again, and he had already mentioned a visit here with his girlfriend, so I will see if I can suggest he do that soon. That way, I can speak to both kids in person. Nicole is coming for dinner tonight. I'm going to update her, actually both my kids, this weekend. I feel like they are a long shot from Rusty and you, as far as Stroh is concerned, but it doesn't hurt to put everyone on alert again."

Andy heard Sharon sigh, and then she said, "I hate this. I really do, but we need to keep Rusty safe."

"We do, and we need you safe," Andy reminded her. "Look, I know you are meeting the kid for dinner. Tell him I told him to study hard, and I'll talk to you in a few days. I love you."

"I love you too. You stay safe out there. We know he's not a fan of the division, so it's not just me who needs to keep her guard up right now," Sharon pointed out.

"I know," he said. "That's been discussed. Security has been upped for others involved here. Sweetheart, be safe."

"I will," she nodded. "Love you."

Andy sighed as he sat back in his chair. He hated all of this. He sat there a few moments in the silence and then stood to put his phone away before Nicole and her crew arrived. He locked up his phone in his gun box, as he'd started doing again this week, and he walked back to the kitchen to work on dinner. His pizza dough was rising, and his freezer was stocked with enough ice cream for the whole block. He started to work on the pizza, but he didn't get very far before his grandsons flew into the house.

"Grandpa Andy!" they screamed out in unison.

"Hey guys," he grinned at them as they each held onto his pant legs.

"Matt, Kyle, don't hurt Grandpa!" Nicole yelled to them as she walked through the door. Dean followed behind her with a bag of the boys' baseball gloves. "Hi, Dad," she smiled and walked over toward him. Andy leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"Nic, Dean," he grinned. "It's a good thing you guys came. I'm making all this pizza, and I need someone to eat with me."

"Pizza!" Kyle yelled as he jumped up and down.

"I have a special treat for anyone who can eat their pizza too," he told them as he took a step toward the freezer with Matt still attached to his leg. He opened the freezer and gestured to the ice cream. "Know anyone who can help me eat that?"

The boys giggled, and Andy pulled Matt off his leg. He gestured toward the yard, and they all moved outside.

"Dad, wow, you have been busy back here," Nicole nodded as she looked around the yard.

"Wow, you went to town on those bushes," Dean nodded toward them.

Andy resisted rolling his eyes, knowing that he and Sharon had gotten into a difference of opinion on the bushes. Instead, he nodded, "Yeah, well, you prune them well now, and they'll have a nice shape by the summer."

Nicole wrapped her arm around Dean, "Dean just did the same thing at our house, but we had a little disagreement on how much to trim. I didn't want him to trim them as much, and in the end, he agreed with me."

Dean rolled his eyes and he looked to Andy and shook his head in the negative. Andy chuckled wanting so badly to tell Nicole how much she was like him. Instead, he changed the subject. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll get it, Dad," she patted his arm. "You enjoy the boys," and they all turned to see the boys already digging out their baseball gloves and picking baseballs out of the new bucket of balls Andy had purchased. Andy was left standing there with Dean.

"How have things been, Andy?" Dean asked. "I'm not going to beat around the bush; Nicole is worried about you."

Andy just nodded. He liked Dean a lot, mainly because the guy was straightforward just as he was being right now. Andy shook his head before he spoke, "I'm fine, really, I am. I understand Nic is worried, but I'm doing okay. We're back to working the Stroh case as of this week. That has me a little unnerved, but it isn't affecting my attitude. I know she always worries about my drinking."

Dean nodded in agreement, "She does. It doesn't help that Sandra constantly asks her if you are drinking because Sharon is gone. Sandra reminds her all the time at how good you were at hiding your drinking, at least at first, and she puts that bug in Nicole's ear, which causes Nicole to worry."

The two turned when they heard Nicole coming back outside, and they both stepped toward her to help her with the drinks.

"What's wrong?" Andy asked as he immediately noticed she looked concerned.

"Care to explain the open wine in the refrigerator?" she asked.


	49. Chapter 49

Andy looked from Nicole to Dean, and then he looked beyond them to the boys. The boys were fine, totally involved in their own little world, so Andy turned back to Nicole and Dean, both of whom were now staring at him. He sighed and shook his head as he gestured to the patio table.

"Why don't we sit down?" he nodded to both of them. Nicole looked to Dean, and Andy recognized that as the same type of look he would often give to Sharon, one of those looks passed between spouses that said so much.

"Andy, I can take the boys and get out of here for awhile if you need to talk to Nicole," Dean offered.

Andy shook his head, "Dean, no. Please, sit, and hear me out. I promise it's not what you think. I'm not drinking, but I do want to explain. We've rebuilt our relationship based on trust, and I'm not going to compromise that now. I need you to hear me out."

Nicole sat and crossed her arms, and the men both sat too. Andy glanced again to the boys, as did Dean and Nicole, and when all were satisfied the boys were otherwise occupied, Andy started to speak.

"Dad, if you aren't drinking, the wine in there belongs to someone. I think I know what you are going to say," she told him.

"I don't think you do," Andy shook his head and looked to the ground.

"Dad, I saw the women's things in your bathroom; I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I am worried about you, have been worried about you. Ask Dean," she nodded to him. "I was worried you weren't sleeping, so I stepped in there the other morning to see if you were taking different meds. I saw several women's items, so if you are afraid to tell us about a new woman in your life, it's okay," she put her hand on his and gave him a small smile. "Yes, we liked Sharon, but we want you to be happy."

The expression on Andy's face changed from worried about their reaction to surprise at Nicole's revelation. "Wait, you think I'm seeing some random woman?" he exclaimed.

Nicole and Dean glanced at each other again, and Nicole was about to speak, but Dean spoke first, "Andy, we are both worried, but obviously something is going on here. Nic, let's let your dad finish," he gestured to Andy.

"There's no random woman! I love Sharon," Andy sighed.

"Dad, she's not here; you cannot chase her ghost," Nicole pointed out to him.

Dean pointed to Andy and looked to Nicole, "I was right," he nodded to Nicole. He turned back to Andy, "You're in contact with Sharon, aren't you? I told Nicole I thought you'd found some way to see Sharon; I didn't think all your traveling was you clearing your head. Is that it?"

Andy's expression changed as he looked to Dean. Dean just nodded at him, and Andy turned to Nicole who was watching the two men as they exchanged glances.

"You're seeing Sharon!" Nicole exclaimed rather loudly, and then she put her hand over her mouth as to almost silence herself. She looked to the boys, and they were still playing away near a large tree. "When Dean suggested the idea, I thought there was no way you two would risk it. You were close, but I didn't think it was anything the two of you would risk everything to see each other."

"Would you let me explain, please!" Andy exclaimed again, and then he instantly regretted raising his voice. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He opened his eyes to find both Nicole and Dean looking to one another, and when he caught their glances, both turned to him.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I haven't let you talk," Nicole told him.

"Yeah, same, Andy," Dean gestured.

"The wine, the things in the bathroom," Andy gestured with one hand, "it's all Sharon's, yes," he looked at each of them. Their eyebrows rose, both shocked and surprised by the news. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you. I've tried to keep you out of this, both of you, as well as your brother, but your little detective work now, well, I'm not going to lie. You mean too much to me to do that when you are asking me point blank. It was one thing when I just didn't tell you, but I'm not going to continue to lie."

"Okay," Nicole nodded as she pursed her lips. "Dad, how? Sharon?"

He nodded, "Yes, I found her. It took me months, months I worked it like any other case. It helped that she sent a clue that eventually fell into my hands-that's more than you need to know right now, but know that she and I did what we do best. She sent a clue that I eventually took and ran with the information. From that, I worked for a long time to locate her, and I finally did."

"If you did, Stroh could," Nicole frowned and looked to Dean with concern.

"I don't think so, but we are trying to be careful. After the last few days, we are trying even more to be careful," he explained.

"So, you have seen her here?" Nicole asked. "She was just here, and you finally saw her?"

"More or less," Andy nodded, not admitting that he'd been seeing Sharon for much longer than this past visit. Dean glanced at him, aware of Andy's choice of words. Andy sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I've seen Sharon several times. This was the second time she's come to LA," he admitted.

"Second time!" Nicole exclaimed.

"She snuck in and out when I was in the hospital," he admitted. Both Dean and Nicole shook their heads trying to take in everything.

"Grandpa, when can we eat?" Matt ran to the adults and asked as he tried to climb into his dad's lap.

"Let's let Grandpa and Nic talk for a few minutes, okay?" Dean asked as he stood. "Maybe we can go inside and start to make the pizzas?" he looked to Andy. Andy nodded and raised a hand to thank him.

Dean called for Kyle, who wasn't far behind his brother, and he gestured for the boys to go inside, "Let's wash our hands boys. We'll get started on the pizza, and Grandpa and Nic will be in soon."

Andy waited for the door to close, and then he looked at Nicole, "Dad, I'm so confused. The program would let her risk everything to come back? Before she and Rusty left, you two were friends, but it looks like there's been a lot of development in that area?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Again, yeah, you could say that," Andy shrugged as he ran his hand through his hair. He was now nervous, nervous to come clean with his daughter. "The program doesn't know Sharon has been coming here, nor do they know I go and see her. As far as our relationship," he just shrugged and gave Nicole a look.

"You go and see her? Wait, you two meet up somewhere?" she asked.

"I'm not going to get into details, but no, we don't meet. I go to where she is, and I take extra steps to keep that as guarded as I can. Provenza doesn't even know where that is," he explained.

"Wait, Provenza knows about this?" Nicole asked.

"He only knows because I was injured. I had him contact her, and he helped her get in and out of LA. Mike had to help too. That was a difficult time, and Sharon couldn't stay away. Have you ever tried telling that woman what to do?"

Nicole let out a chuckle as Andy stated that. She shook her head, "No, I believe Rusty and I tried to tell you two you were dating, but we were constantly met with resistance there," she nodded. "So, you two see each other?"

"We do," Andy nodded. "Rusty too. I see Rusty when I visit. They are doing well, but I need to figure this case out, so they can come home. Emily and Ricky don't know any of this; we've tried to keep this away from all of you because the more you know, the harder it is to keep quiet. It wasn't a trust issue; it was a need to know issue, and after you found her things, well, I didn't want to keep up the mess."

Nicole just nodded as she tried to process everything, "So, Sharon is breaking the rules herself?"

"Look, Nic, it's complicated. No, we aren't supposed to have contact, but we couldn't stand it," he told her.

"So, she's breaking the rules," Nicole nodded as she repeated the statement.

"Yes," Andy sighed. "We are, but Nic, I love her. I hate this."

Nicole looked to her dad and saw the anguish on his face. She gave him a sad smile, "Dad, you really love her?"

"I do," Andy nodded. "I really do."

"I can't believe she was here," Nicole shook her head. "So, that's why you didn't want me to come over, isn't it? Here I was worried that you were depressed and even drinking. Dean and I talked for hours about all of it. I was worried you weren't going to your meetings, and yet, you seemed okay when we went to lunch. Mom had warned me you could seem okay even when drinking, and I had that in the back of my head. Then, when I saw the items in your bathroom, I assumed you were seeing someone and almost embarrassed by that. Who wants to talk about that with their daughter, right?" she grinned, and then her expression changed to horrified.

"Sharon was here," she stated and nodded. "So, you two?"

"You know," Andy put his finger to his mouth, "hold that thought. I think we need to add another dimension to this little chat." He stood, and he walked to the door and entered the house. Nicole watched him from the table, and he spoke to Dean and the boys for a moment before she saw him walk down the hall. She caught Dean's eye and just shook her head, a silent explanation to tell him everything later. She saw her dad reappear and tell Dean something else, to which Dean just nodded, and then Andy reappeared back on the patio. He sat down and put something on the table. His hand covered it, and Nicole just looked at what he was holding.

"I need you to promise me something," Andy told her as he looked at Nicole. "Promise me that none of this can go beyond Dean. You can't tell your mother or your brother. Again, this has all been on a need to know basis. I need you to promise me this, Nic, and this isn't just a favor; this involves life and death issues."

"Okay," Nicole nodded, now a bit scared herself, as she looked to her dad. "I promise. Dean and I won't tell anyone. Dad, what is in your hand?"

He held it up and showed her, and then he held up one hand indicating to give him a second. Andy turned to the phone, and he called the only number programmed into the phone. Nicole watched in wonder, as Andy put the phone to his ear.

"Hey," he said into the phone, and Nicole noticed he instantly lit up. She watched his expression turn as he started to talk. Nicole hadn't seen him that happy in a long time. She turned back to pay attention, "Yes, they did come over for dinner." Nicole perked up at that. Obviously, her dad and Sharon spoke more than she had figured if Sharon knew about dinner. Nicole still couldn't believe Sharon was on the other end of the phone, a phone she'd never seen before. "So, I've got a bit of a dilemma," he explained as he turned to look at Nicole. "My own little detective here spotted a few things at the house, and well, let's just say that she thought I'd kicked you to the curb and had a new lady friend." Andy winked at Nicole, and she put her head in her hands to hide her embarrassment. As silly as it sounded, it had made the most sense. She never expected Sharon had been the woman at the house. Andy gestured for her to move closer to hear the conversation. "I don't want to put this on speaker for obvious reasons, but Nic is sitting here with me."

"Hello," Nicole said tentatively. She instantly heard chuckling.

"Nicole, hi," Sharon said warmly. "Hmm, I understand I didn't do a very good job hiding my evidence at the house."

Nicole smiled too, "Wine, for starters. I was worried Dad was drinking or had found someone he was hiding from us. I had no idea. I'm so sorry to now be caught in this mess."

"I understand, and let me just say that as much as you are probably irritated with your dad, he hated keeping this from you. We hate keeping it from all the kids. Getting married without most of you there was so hard."

"Married!" Nicole exclaimed. She turned, horrified, to Andy.

"I hadn't told her!" Andy exclaimed as he groaned. He looked to Nicole, "I wasn't hiding that. I just hadn't gotten to that yet, hence the reason I wanted to call her," he gestured to the phone.

"You're married!" Nicole exclaimed again, this time lowering her voice and looking to the kitchen. The boys were busy with their pizzas and not paying attention to the yard.

"Andy, a little disclaimer would have been nice," Sharon pointed out to him.

"Yeah, sorry," he sighed. "Sharon and I got married," he shrugged at Nicole. "I told you that I love her."

"And, I love you dad," Sharon said through the phone. "Nicole, I hope you can understand. We've been through so much. This is just awful on us, and while you last saw us as an awkward couple at the Nutcracker, we've obviously figured out quite a bit."

Andy grinned at that, as he caught Nicole's gaze, "Ahh, well, now that I'm second guessing the call," he told Sharon, "I think I'll dig out of my hole here."

"I'm sorry," Sharon sighed. "Nicole, I can't tell you how nice it was to hear your voice. I miss all of you. Kiss those boys for me. They are getting big."

Nicole nodded and then snapped her head to Andy, "What?" he shrugged. "I talk about you. I take her pictures all the time. She has pictures of the boys where she is."

"Sharon, I almost don't know what to say. I will talk all through this with dad, but I am happy you two had figured out a way to handle this mess, at least for now. I've not seen him as happy as he was just a few moments ago when he heard your voice. His face lit up."

"When he's around, I'm content," Sharon told her. "I love your father very much. Andy, I'll speak to you later."

Andy nodded, and Nicole backed away from the phone, "Love you," he told her and hung up. He stuffed the phone into his pocket and turned back to Nicole. "Yeah, I should have mentioned that detail," he added. "Sorry."

"I can't believe this; I don't know what to say," Nicole shook her head.

"When you love someone," Andy shrugged.

"So, when did you get married, just when she was here?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head. "December. I went to see them after the doctor cleared me to travel, but before I went back to work."

"Was that some knee-jerk reaction from your surgery?" she asked.

"Absolutely not," Andy said firmly. "We'd discussed it before, and the timing was right. Look, I know this is a lot, but it's been a lot for me, a lot for Sharon, and a lot for Rusty."

"Rusty," Nicole repeated. "How is he with all this? He's obviously been more involved in things."

"Rusty's good," Andy nodded. "Sadly, this is the most stable parent situation he's ever had, a mom there full-time and a dad fixture there a few times a year," he rolled his eyes.

"I still can't believe this," Nicole sighed.

"I know," Andy patted her hand. "Look, why don't I go and tag-team Dean? I'll send him out here so you can catch him up on everything, and then maybe after we eat, I can discuss a few things with both of you. This Stroh mess isn't going away, and I need you two to be alert, more than usual. Our whole family has been pulled into this just by my association with Sharon and Rusty before they even were taken away. Can we do that?"

Nicole nodded, "Yes, I mean, send Dean out. We can talk after dinner, then, about this whole mess. It sounds like you need Sharon home more than I ever imagined."


	50. Chapter 50

Sharon hung up the phone and sighed as she closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb. Rusty looked up from his spot on the couch next to her. "Everything good with Andy?"

"Hmm, fine," she waved him off as she put down her phone and looked to Rusty. She gave him a small smile. "Andy said to tell you hello. He's tired from his travels and then two back to back cases as soon as he got back. He was almost too tired to talk."

"You know, several of my friends went to Florida for spring break. They had a blast, and I had to tell them we drove to Columbus to see a couple museums for spring break. I'm done with Stroh. I really want this mess to end. Does Andy have any update?"

It was now April, just after Easter. Spring break had come and gone. Rusty and Sharon had canceled their plans to Florida, just as Andy had done. He'd shifted some of his trip, though, and he'd gone to see Emily, whom he reported to be in good spirits and doing well. Andy had watched her newest performance and told Sharon it was probably the best he'd seen her dance. He also had told Sharon he'd gotten video of it, with permission of course, and he couldn't wait to show her the video next time he saw her. He'd discussed the Stroh update with Emily, of course, leaving out the fact he knew where Sharon was and also that Emily was really hanging out with her step-father, but she'd promised to be on heightened alert. Ricky had promised the same, even though he hadn't made the trip to LA yet with his new girlfriend. Andy had also attended Provenza's lunch-hour wedding in March, something he promised to tell Sharon about when he saw her. Sharon and Rusty had spent a few days of Rusty's spring break in Columbus, touring that city, and it had snowed some while they were there. They'd gone to a couple museums and tried to relax in a city they didn't know well, but underneath it all, both were on edge and tense. They both wanted to be in Florida, and Sharon knew even Rusty wanted to be around Andy, almost as much as she did.

The back to back cases Major Crimes had caught had not helped in their search for Stroh. Yes, the FBI was still on the hunt, but Major Crimes was adding extra eyes and ears to hopefully bring their captain home. Sharon had not spoken to Andy since he'd gotten back from his trip, now almost 10 days ago. The cases had kept him busy, and their prior conversation had really focused on his visit with Emily. This conversation, she'd had to bite her tongue more than usual with Andy; he was irritated, not at her, but she had gotten the brunt of it.

 _"Davis in your office!" he'd exclaimed after the two had exchanged greetings. Sharon had then made the mistake to ask how work had been with his busy cases. "Sharon, it almost makes me sick to my stomach seeing her there. I can feel her staring at me; it was one thing when I knew you were in that office staring at me. At least then I knew you liked what you saw."_

 _Sharon burst out laughing, and she told Andy, "That was your impression? I'm sorry Davis is so awful. I would hate to work for her; I hated working with her, but you really believe I was staring at you because I liked what I saw?" Sharon was trying to deflect Andy, and she knew if she could get him off the subject of Davis they would have a much better phone call._

 _"Of course, you did," he told her playfully. "I'm fully aware you could have kept those blinds closed all the time, and you rarely did. They were open so you could keep eyes on your hot lieutenant."_

 _"He was hot alright," Sharon grinned. "Hot-headed, hot-tempered, hot flashes that caused him to pass out-shall I continue?" she teased._

 _"Laugh it up, Raydor, laugh it up. Say, that has me thinking, what are you going to do with your name when all this is over?" he asked._

 _"It may not end, Andy," she sighed._

 _"Don't avoid the question, Sharon. What are you going to do?" he asked._

 _"My first name, I'm definitely changing back," she grinned. "I can't stand Sandra, and I can't imagine asking you to call me that," she chuckled. "The other, I try not to think about it because as much as I'd like to change it, I keep telling myself it may not be a possibility with all this. Andy, I've done a lot of things over the last year I didn't think I would; I've surprised myself. Changing my name would be one of those surprises. I'm not sure I would have said I'd do that before all this, but I want to have the same name as you if we ever get out of this mess."_

 _"Good answer," he chuckled. "Just wanted to make sure on the towel monogramming I will have done," he teased her. Sharon started to laugh again, and the two fell into silence._

 _"So, no case update?" she asked._

 _"No," he sighed. "We're digging deep into Stroh's past, college and high school to find any friends, girlfriends, anything like that where we might focus our efforts. The FBI is focused more on recent things, such as clients, but we're hopeful he's going to pop up soon. I'm still coming for Rusty's graduation next month. Because I didn't use all my days in March, I moved things around, and I'll do some zig zagging again to get to you, but I'm going to come there."_

 _"I wish I could tell you I don't want you to come, but I want to see you. I know you are going to do what you need to do to be careful and safe. Rusty will be very glad to hear you are still coming." She looked to Rusty who was seated near her, listening to his earbuds as he typed on his computer. She focused again on her call._

 _"I can hear the exhaustion in your voice," she told him._

 _"No argument here," he sighed. "I'm going to get some sleep, and tomorrow, I'm watching the boys for Nicole. She and Dean have some work dinner."_

 _"Kiss the boys for me, and tell Nicole and Dean I love you all," Sharon said._

 _"We'll get him, Sharon. I love you, and I'm going to make sure you come home."_

She'd hung up to that, and that is when Rusty had started to talk to her. Sharon realized she'd been quiet as she'd thought about their phone conversation, so she turned her attention back to Rusty.

"I'm sorry about spring break; you know that, but neither Andy nor I are trying to make your life miserable. We are trying to make sure you have a life."

Rusty just nodded, "Yeah, I know, but for once, I get it when my friends say their parents are making their lives miserable," he flashed a grin at Sharon. She swatted playfully at his arm. "Oh, we can both continue to make your life miserable. He did say that nothing is going to stop him from coming to your graduation."

"Really?" Rusty looked at her surprised. "Really, nothing? Not even a serial killer?"

"He's coming, and I am sure we can think of a few ways while he's here to make your life miserable. Maybe we'll be those parents with big signs or I know," she grinned, "air horns. We'll make a big scene when you graduate. If only we could have the whole family here, we'd be the loudest bunch there."

"I guess this is one time I'm glad for witness protection," he chuckled. He stopped laughing and looked at Sharon, "So, wait, you're actually going to make me go to the ceremony? I have to buy that stupid cap and gown?" he groaned.

"It's not stupid, and yes, you will go. We didn't get to enjoy a big ceremony from high school with you graduating in the summer. Yes, we had that small party, but this time, I'd really like to see you graduate. Plus, Andy is coming all the way here, and you don't want to disappoint him," she smiled as her eyes twinkled. Rusty groaned; he knew Sharon and her sense of occasion.

"But, there's not going to be like a party, right?" he asked. Sharon shrugged as she glanced away. "Sharon?" he said in a straightforward tone.

"Why can't we have our friends over to celebrate?" she shrugged. "It will be small, probably like what we did with high school, but Rusty, this is big! You're finishing community college and going onto school. I'm so proud of you. Did you ever see this coming years ago?"

"No, I might have continued to run," he smirked, and Sharon rolled her eyes. "If I'd been told I get stuck in witness protection, oh, and I'd live under the watch of now two police detectives, I might have found someone who didn't care about a sense of occasion." When he looked back to Sharon, she had the sad face, the face he'd seen Andy even give her, and he rolled his eyes, "Okay, fine. I'll order my cap and gown next week. Deadline is coming up anyway, and you can have your SMALL," he pointed a finger at her, "party. That's partly because your friends are starting to believe you and Andy are already getting divorced or something."

Sharon let out a chuckle, "Hmm, they are," she nodded. "Well, he was supposed to meet us for a vacation, and that fell through. They don't know why, but yes, Kathy asked me if my visit to California had gone well. I told her it did, and I didn't give her any other details, but I'm sure they all believe Andy and I had some sort of falling out."

Rusty raised an eyebrow, "I really don't want details. Didn't want them then, and I don't want them now. I could tell by your smile you had a great secret trip to California. I've started a journal of all the things you've done to break the rules because when this is all over, Ricky and Emily won't believe me unless I can show they everything I've written down about you."

Sharon burst out laughing, and she shrugged, "When you love someone, you'll do almost anything for them-because you love them and want to protect them." She looked at Rusty and shrugged again. He met her gaze, smiled, and he nodded.

"I know, Mom, I know. Thanks for loving me too," he told her. "I'll let you have your party."

"Good," Sharon looked away from Rusty and grinned, "I'll tell our friends at church, and we can do something simple here at the house."

Rusty raised an eyebrow, "Simple? You're going to do something simple."

"I am," she nodded. "Andy will be visiting, and I don't want to go too crazy with your party, for your benefit. Maybe we can grill out burgers. That should be a decent compromise for you considering burgers are your favorite."

He grinned, "I can agree to that. Can Andy grill the burgers? No offense, but yours don't come out as well as his?"

Sharon looked to him, almost horrified, "Russell Thomas Beck, are you saying that you'd rather have a vegetarian grill your burger than your own mother?"

"Umm, yeah, you always like his burgers too," Rusty pointed out. "You have to admit, Sharon, he does a good job, whatever marinade he puts on them. He's your husband; you should be glad I asked for him to be involved."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Fine, but I'm going to serve several salads too just to make offer healthier options."

"Fine by me," Rusty shrugged. "I'll just get Andy to grill me a couple burgers. You can have your salads."

I didn't say I wasn't going to eat a burger," Sharon said, as she exaggerated her answer. She gestured with her hands, "That would be almost impolite to Andy for grilling them. I don't want him thinking I don't like his burgers."

"Tell yourself whatever you want, Mom," he grinned. "You're really a closet burger lover. I know you," he pointed to her. "You like your share of junk food, and very few people know that. I'm just one of them."

"Hmm, well, let's just get you to the day you can enjoy that burger. You still have to finish your classes and pass your exams," Sharon nodded to him. He looked to her horrified.

"What, you think I'll fail my classes?" he grimaced.

"Do you?" she teased. "You're the adult; I don't go behind to check your homework. How's that psychology class?"

"Ugh, I hate it," he groaned. "I feel like each class is a session out of Dr. Joe's book. It's painful. I can definitely eliminate psychologist or psychiatrist as a career choice. However," he smirked at her, "I will pass it, and I'll graduate. Come May, I'll be out of school, at least until I start at Miami in August. "Hey, what happens if they catch Stroh before then?"

"We'll cross the bridge if we come to it, Rusty," Sharon sighed as she stood. "It's late. I'm going to take a hot bath and head to bed. There are times I talk to Andy and feel hopeful there will be progress on the Stroh case and other times, like today, when I feel like the whole thing is hopeless."


	51. Chapter 51

"How is Ricky?" Sharon asked when she answered her phone. She had hoped Andy would be calling with a report from the weekend visit with Ricky and his girlfriend, Amanda. Sharon was giddy at the thought of Andy spending the weekend with her middle son and the special woman in his life. Now, Andy could have waited until further in the week to tell her in person about the visit, as it was now May, and Rusty was about to graduate, but he'd been the amazing husband she knew him to be and had called her anyway. Truth be told, he was just as excited to speak to Sharon as she was to speak to him.

"So, this is how far we've dropped off in our married life?"he teased after her blunt greeting. "We've been married six months, and I don't even get a greeting anymore on the phone? I don't get an special names-"Honey," "Sweetheart," "Babe," but instead I get just the blunt, "How is Ricky?"

Sharon tried to hold back her chuckle, but Andy could hear her almost snort laughing coming through the phone. "Why, hello, you sexy sweetheart. How are you my incredibly handsome honey?"she teased right back.

This time, Andy started to laugh, and as he was about to say something, he heard Rusty exclaim though the phone. "Sharon, my ears! Really? I had to hear that! Come on! You've snagged the guy and are legally married to him; he's so crazy for you, there is no need for that kind of talk and out in the living room!"

Now, both Sharon and Andy burst out laughing, and Andy heard Sharon speak to Rusty. "Rusty, that was just teasing. Andy was making fun of me for not even saying hello to him, and so that was just for fun."

"No, no way," Andy heard Rusty tell Sharon. He then heard a jostling on the phone, and then Rusty greeted him. "So, you're supposed to be the parent in all this, you and Sharon together, and I have to tell you to stop the phone calls? Really, Andy?" Rusty complained.

"Hello, Rusty. How is my newest son doing this weekend? Are you taking good care of your mom?" Andy greeted him, as he ignored Rusty's complaining.

"Don't try to be all nonchalant," Rusty told him. "I know what I heard, and I'd really not like to think of the two of you like that, you know, considering I'm supposed to look up to you for advice and all. I can only imagine what was said on your end. I don't want to think, 'Let me ask Babe, I mean, Andy, what I should do,' because that just isn't cool at all."

"Rusty," Andy chuckled. "I promise. You won't hear that on the phone. We'll just save it for in person, maybe next weekend at graduation. When you introduce us to any of your friends, I'll just make sure to refer to Sharon as Babe or something just to irritate you."

"No, there will be none of that. You'll just be my weird parents. I've prepared my friends for that much. Besides, they are just curious to know you are like a real person. They think you're some ghost who never appears."

"Ha, such a comedian," Andy grumbled. "Listen, I'm really looking forward to your graduation this weekend. I'll see you later this week. May I please speak to my very lovely wife?"

"I'm going to stop you there and put her back on the phone," Rusty told him."You walked up to the line with the very lovely wife comment, but it wasn't inappropriate. I don't need you to cross the line."

"Just like I do at work," Andy grinned as he spoke to Rusty. "Bye, Rusty."

"Bye, Andy. I'm really glad you are coming," he said, and Andy could hear the phone being handed back to Sharon.

"Yes, Lieutenant, what can I do for you this evening?" Sharon stated in her most professional work voice when she had the phone once again. Andy started to chuckle again.

"Wow, that takes me back. I haven't heard that professional tone in a very long time,"he told her.

"It has been over a year," she sighed.

"No, I mean, THAT tone. That was the all-business, no-nonsense, Captain Raydor. I haven't heard her in years," he said.

"Andy, I was always very professional on the phone," she said, not sure what he was saying.

"There, that,"he said. "You stopped calling me lieutenant a long time ago. You switched to Andy when you would call me, and that tone changed too."

Sharon started to giggle, "What do you mean?"

"I mean it was probably the same time you changed my caller id, from Lieutenant Andy Flynn to just Andy. Don't think I didn't notice. I remember standing next to you to call your phone that one time at work, shortly after Nicole's wedding. Remember, you didn't think your phone ringer was working? You asked if I'd call it to make sure it was working, and when I did, my name flashed on your screen, and it was Andy. It wasn't Lieutenant Andy Flynn like it had been before, because I'd seen that too when you'd had me help you find your phone in your office once. So, I saw the subtle changes, and I heard them too. I stopped getting the crisp Captain Raydor greeting, and your voice softened. You started calling me Andy, and well, I am a detective," he said happily to her.

Sharon just chuckled as she shook her head at home on her couch. "I will neither confirm nor deny anything you might have just said. I won't also confirm nor deny that I might have added a photo of the two of us to your contact after the first Nutcracker."

"Ahh, my blushing bride comes clean," he teased. "I know you are probably there blushing, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Sharon teased, and she finally started to calm herself to speak to Andy again. "So, I'll start again. How is my amazing husband tonight, and did you enjoy your weekend with Ricky and Amanda?"

"I'm good, very good now that I'm talking to you. Ricky and Mandy, as she likes to be called, enjoyed themselves here. She's very nice, very independent, and very much like you," he told Sharon.

"Really?" Sharon asked. "She's like me?"

"Hmm, yes, long dark hair like yours, even has glasses, cute, funny, and she likes Ricky a lot. Oh, she's also very Catholic, so that seems to be something Ricky has stepped up his game about lately. Sounds like she's been dragging him with her to church. You'll like her. She's a nurse."

"A nurse, really? Ricky's dating a nurse?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah, why?" Andy asked.

"Oh, just somewhat comical, that's all. Ricky hates the sight of blood and has always been squeamish. It's just a bit funny to me he'd be dating a nurse who deals with that all the time."

Andy chuckled, "Kind of like my rule-follower wife marrying such a troublemaker like me," he smirked.

Sharon laughed, "Hmm, yes, I guess like mother like son. Well, if he loves her anywhere close to how much I love you, being a nurse won't bother him."

"They seem like a cute couple. I don't think it's that serious yet, at least using the big love words, but he seems pretty set on her. I will be interested to see how things progress. We had a nice visit. They got in really late Friday after work. They took a quick flight down here, and because I still have your car, they used it all weekend."

"I'm sure he enjoyed that," Sharon commented. "You might want to consider selling it, Andy. I don't know if I'll ever get back home to it now. I know I had you sell Rusty's car right away because, well, it was old anyway, but it might be time to sell mine too."

Andy shrugged to himself, "It's not a problem here in the driveway. It reminds me of you, and it is nice for the kids to use when they visit. Let's just keep it for now. Selling it is final. It's not bothering anything here, and it's paid for, so really, I'm just doing basic upkeep. I drive it every now and then to make sure the battery is okay. Look, when this all ends, we can give it to Rusty, and we'll get you a brand new car."

"Rusty has his Jeep. I think he's set on that. If this ever ends, I'll just use my own car again," she sighed.

"Nah, by then, you'll deserve something nice and new. We can trade it in, so for now, let's just drop that. It's fine here," he told her. "The kids use it when they visit, so it's not bothering anyone here."

"I can't wait to see you this week," Sharon said as she changed topics.

"Same. I can't wait to get there. It's been way too long. I can't believe how much I miss you," he said.

"Well, the graduation is set for 2:00 on Friday. I told our friends to come over around 5:30 for the party. Rusty is very excited about his burger and chips party," Sharon chuckled. "I will sneak in several salads and healthier options."

"Sounds great. I'll be glad to grill the burgers," Andy offered.

Sharon started to laugh, "Oh, Rusty already requested you at the grill. It will be very nice. I ordered a cake for him too."

"Perfect," Andy nodded. "Are all of your friends coming?"

"Yes, and they were teasing me about you, wondering if you were really going to come. They knew we were supposed to meet for spring break and felt it was off that work plans changed everything."

"Okay, so you told them work was the issue? That's fine. I just want to be on the same page," he told her.

"Yes, I told them your work schedule changed, and unfortunately, we couldn't do anything about that," Sharon explained. "It was easier to throw you under the bus since I did still have some time off that week."

"Well, I will be there by Thursday, and with your friends, you can always throw me under the bus, literally. I've already been thrown from enough moving vehicles," he chuckled.

"That's not funny," Sharon stated firmly.

"Yeah, I'm finally laughing about it myself, the whole mess was just that, a mess. Anyway, onto better topics, I'm bringing plenty of gifts from home," he said happily.

"Gifts?"she asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," he teased. "It's going to be a great visit."


	52. Chapter 52

Sharon heard the car pull into the driveway and ran quickly out the back door. She threw herself at him as soon as he opened the door. "You're here! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

Andy chuckled as he pulled her tightly to him, chuckling because he couldn't see her face; he could only see the long hair now all over his face. He tilted his head to kiss the side of hers, sure he would get a mouth of hair. "Well, that's quite the greeting," he whispered as he pulled back just far enough to look at her.

"It's been a long time," she smiled. "I'm really glad you are here." Sharon leaned up, and Andy met her for the two to meet in a long kiss and embrace. They stood next to the car and continued to kiss until they finally heard a throat clearing behind them. The two met, their heads against each other, and smiled. Andy pulled her to his side, and the two turned to Rusty.

"Hi, Rusty," he smiled and encouraged him to move closer by gesturing with his one hand. Rusty smiled and walked toward Andy. Andy stuck his hand out to greet Rusty, and when Rusty moved to shake his hand, Andy pulled him in slightly so that he had Sharon on one side and Rusty somewhat close on the other. He was keenly aware of Rusty's aversion to hugging, but it felt nice to pull him into a somewhat side embrace.

"Okay, so I might have missed you too," Rusty rolled his eyes as he stepped back to grin at Andy. Sharon buried her head into Andy's shoulder and started to laugh. Andy returned the laugh too and kissed Sharon's head.

"How's my favorite kid in the witness protection program?" he grinned. Sharon groaned and shook her head. She wrapped her arm around Andy's back and waist. He returned the gesture to her.

"Good," Rusty nodded. "Thanks for coming. I know your visit is really about seeing Sharon."

"Hey, I came to see you too. This is a big weekend. It's not every single day you graduate, and the last time, you barely wanted us to acknowledge it. So, I'm here to see both of you. You're family, and that is what family does. Well," he shrugged, "they often live together too, but we'll deal with that technicality. There's no place I'd rather be than here to see you graduate, and I know with Sharon's sense of occasion, she'd flip if you didn't let her do something."

"See, that's what I said," Sharon gestured toward Rusty and looked to Andy. "I told him the same."

Rusty looked from one to the other and shook his head, "You two are weird. You don't even get to live together, and you think alike. Weird married old people," he sighed. Sharon and Andy laughed, and she turned to Andy.

"Let's get you inside," she raised her eyebrow to him and nodded to his rental car.

"Yeah," he nodded back as he turned, with Sharon still in his grasp, "I've got my carry on and one checked bag. I figured even here for a week, I didn't need to bring a lot of clothing since I'd left some here and could always put some in the laundry."

"If Sharon will let you," Rusty nodded to Andy as he pulled his suitcase out of the car and handed his carry on bag to Sharon. "For some reason, she likes your dirty old shirts," Rusty made a face and grimaced. "When you left last time, she wore your shirt with her pajama pants for like ever."

"Rusty," Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes as she smiled at Andy. She shrugged, noting no complaints from Andy either. He just grinned at her.

"Well, I didn't bring a lot, and I knew I had a suit here thanks to the shopping habits from my lovely wife's job," he grinned at Sharon. She smiled brightly at him, and Rusty just rolled his eyes as the three started toward the house.

"Are you two going to just smile the whole time?" Rusty asked.

"I certainly hope so," Sharon grinned, and both she and Andy chuckled at her comment. Rusty just shook his head.

"Could be worse, Kid," Andy commented. "We could get into a huge fight at your graduation, but why don't we just settle for the doting parent look?"

"Sharon sure has the lovesick puppy act going," Rusty held the door open and grinned at Andy. She had the windows open to listen for your car, and if you didn't notice, she went flying out the door when you arrived."

"Did you just call your mom a dog?" Andy smirked. Sharon made a face at both men.

"Just because I'm glad to see Andy does not mean that I have lost my edge. I can very easily make both of you squirm just with a few words and looks." She glared at Andy and Rusty. They looked at each other, and Andy turned back to Sharon.

"Yes, Dear," he nodded, and Rusty started to laugh. Andy moved down the hall with his bag toward the bedroom, and Sharon sighed happily and followed him.

"That's better," she mumbled.

"Smells good," Andy yelled to Sharon as he deposited his bag in their bedroom. She put his travel bag, complete with his laptop next to the couch in the living room and went back to the kitchen to check on dinner. Rusty plopped back into his chair where he'd been watching a movie to resume that. For all practical purposes, things looked normal. Andy returned after a few minutes, and he nodded at Rusty as he walked into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Sharon as he walked up behind her at the counter.

"Hmm, I'm so glad you are here," she sighed. "It's been too long."

"I know," he grumbled as he kissed the side of her head and looked to what she was making. "I agree. We'll do better. What's for dinner?" Sharon knew Andy was due in for a late dinner. It was now after 8:00, and she'd prepared his lasagna along with a salad. She had been putting the finishing touches on the salad when he arrived.

"Your lasagna," she smiled. "I knew you'd enjoy that after all your traveling. You mentioned last week you hadn't had a good meal in a few weeks, so I thought this would be just that."

"Ahh, perfect, and yeah, traveling is not for the old," he chuckled. Sharon turned around to look at him as he spoke. "I flew to Miami, Florida yesterday, you know, to just go ahead and make that jump. I'd found a good deal on a roundtrip ticket to Miami," Andy explained as he leaned over Sharon's shoulder to grab a carrot from the salad, "and I stayed overnight there." He rolled his eyes, "Well, I sort of stayed overnight. I stayed in a hotel right there by the airport, and then I flew out first thing this morning. It was dark when I arrived and still dark when I left. I found another good deal, one of those cheap flights to Atlanta. From there, I had a long layover, but then I flew to Chicago, and I drove from there," he grinned. "Jumped around, but I'm here."

Rusty had walked into the kitchen to listen to Andy, and he sat at the table while Sharon stood against the counter, and Andy stood in front of her. Andy chewed on his carrot, while Sharon nodded. "I'm sorry you had to jump all over the country, but your effort is appreciated, very much appreciated."

Rusty nodded, "Yeah, thanks Andy. I'm really glad you came."

Andy shrugged, as if it was no big deal, "I'm just glad you are graduating. Do you know how silly it would have looked if I had come all this way, and the school had decided not to pass you?" He winked at Sharon, and she shook her head as she chuckled and gestured to the table.

"Go, sit, and we'll eat. We're not complete, but we can eat as some semblance of a family," she told them.

It was much later in the evening when Rusty had gone to bed, and Sharon was sitting on their bed watching Andy unpack his things. The three had enjoyed a nice dinner and watched the start of a movie together before they all were falling asleep. Now, Andy was unpacking, and Sharon was ready for bed. The two were talking, just happy to be with each other instead of over a short phone call.

"So, yeah, I need to leave Wednesday morning so I can start to retrace my steps home. I've got a slightly different route. I have that roundtrip from Miami, but I found a good deal out of Chicago to Boston and then to Miami, so I'll do that. It actually saves me time. The flight to Atlanta had the long layover again, and I'd rather be at least in the air if I can," he nodded to Sharon.

"Hmm, Boston will be nice this time of year," Sharon smiled. "Now, you are making me slightly jealous. I wish I could go there for a trip. I haven't been to that part of the country in years."

"We should plan one," he nodded. "Maybe after we drop off the kid at college we escape there for a few days?" he offered. "That's also a nice time of year there."

Sharon smiled, "I like that idea, but I hate the thought that we'll still be here. No update on Stroh?" The two rarely spoke of that on the phone, just that Andy had promised updates if and when he had them.

Andy sighed as he sat on the bed, "No, we've pretty much decided the random deaths were not random. They were all people he knew at some point in his life, and we figure they were people who disappointed him for one reason or another. We've contacted two of his old girlfriends. One lives in Virginia, and one lives in Texas to warn them to be on the lookout. Of course, neither are too worried because they dated him all the way back in high school, but we've tried to tell them that Stroh doesn't forget anyone or anything. The FBI doesn't seem enough cause to keep a security team on either woman. I hate it because I can almost feel they are going to end up on our list," he sighed. Sharon reached over and squeezed his hand.

"Hearing that," she nodded, "is the reason this is the safest thing for all of us. I absolutely hate this, but you are right. He most likely will be back, and those women have no idea."

Andy nodded, "Yeah, the one said she had a conceal carry permit, and we strongly advised the other to do the same. I just hope it's enough."

"I know. I do too," Sharon gave him a sad smile. "Let's go to bed. We can't fix this tonight, and tomorrow, we have a big day watching our son graduate."

"Our son, huh?" he grinned as he leaned his head back on the pillow and looked over to Sharon who was sitting against the headboard.

She shrugged, "You knew what you were getting when you married me."

"He smiled even more, "I did. That I did."

One would have thought that Sharon was a five-year-old on Christmas by late the next afternoon. She was giddy with joy. Rusty had graduated, and Andy was standing with her, waiting on Rusty to finish. The ceremony had just ended, and while as dull as most, Sharon hadn't minded it one bit. The two stood, hand in hand, as they talked and looked around the ceremony. Sharon was in a deep green dress, one she'd bought at work recently, and Andy was in a gray suit with a green tie to match Sharon. They'd gone for that look knowing Rusty's school colors had the same green. As they stood there, they were surprised when Kathy and Eric, friends of Sharon's from church, tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh, my goodness! You came?" Sharon asked, clearly surprised to see her friends. They both smiled at Sharon and Andy.

"Well, we didn't come for the whole ceremony. I was still at school, but we drove over here together. Eric picked me up so we could get here hopefully in time to congratulate Chris, and might I say, Andy it is very nice to see you again," Kathy nodded to the couple. Sharon had a firm grasp on Andy's hand, and the two were standing close enough that Sharon leaned her head on Andy's shoulder and smiled.

"Nice to see you both as well," Andy nodded and smiled. "Thank you for watching out for Sandra so much while I'm away for work. It's exhausting, and I hate not being with her and Chris."

"When did you get in, Andy?" Eric asked.

"Last night, just in time for dinner," he grinned.

"I'm so touched that you both came here to support Chris," Sharon told them. "It means so much. I certainly hope you will come to the party later."

"Yes, we'll be there," Kathy nodded. "Can I help you with anything or bring anything?"

"No, we've covered everything, but thank you. Chris requested a low-key meal, his favorite," she shrugged.

Andy jumped in nodding, "Burgers and chips. Kid can't get enough of that junk, so take your cholesterol meds before you come."

The four laughed, and as they were chuckling, Rusty walked up to the group. "Hey," he grinned.

"There he is!" Sharon squealed as she turned to hug Rusty. "Oh, we are so proud of you."

"Ahh, thanks, but you've told me that like a million times, Mom," Rusty sighed. Andy patted him on the shoulder.

"She'll probably say it another million in the next few days. Then, you'll get a reprieve for a couple months, and she'll start it again in August when we take you to school. Don't worry, though," he winked to Rusty, "I'm going to take her away that weekend after we drop you off for a little trip to get her mind of leaving you."

Sharon sighed, "Oh, stop, you two," she laughed. She looked to her friends, "They go a pretty good job of ganging up on me."

"Hmm, yes, they do seem pretty comfortable with teasing you," Kathy smiled. "Well, where's your camera? One of the reasons we came was to offer our assistance. I'm happy to take pictures of your nice family."

"Chris, I think your mom is pretty pleased with you," Eric laughed as Sharon continued to smile.

"Why do I have to have such weird parents?" he sighed, but he patted Andy on the back as he leaned in to whisper, "Weird, but way better than Jack."

Andy silently chuckled and nodded to Rusty as they looked to Sharon speaking with Kathy.

They took a few minutes taking photos, and as they were all walking out together, Andy's phone rang. Sharon looked to him as he glanced at the caller id. "Provenza," he nodded to her. "Let me take this." Sharon nodded to him, and then she turned to her friends. Rusty was walking just ahead of them talking with a friend of his.

"That's Andy's partner for work," she told Kathy and Mike. "He should just be a few minutes."

"Security never sleeps," Mike chuckled.

"No, it doesn't," Sharon nodded to him.

Andy walked back to the group, and Sharon could tell something was wrong. Andy had told her Provenza knew Andy was coming to Rusty's graduation, not that he knew where that was or anything more specific, but Sharon also knew Provenza wouldn't call unless it was important. If he'd wanted to speak to Rusty, Andy wouldn't look concerned.

"Ready to go to the car," Andy gave her a look, one that told her he'd explain later.

"Yes," she smiled. "Chris, we'll see you at home."

"Okay," he turned as he walked backwards, "thanks for coming," he grinned at Kathy and Mike.

"Our pleasure, and we'll see you at the party later," Kathy told them.

Once Sharon and Andy were alone and in the car, Sharon turned to Andy. She didn't even have to ask; he spoke before she could say anything. "Provenza called to tell me there had been a break-in at your condo. Thank goodness the renters weren't home, but the place was tossed. I'd gotten a call during the ceremony I ignored, and after I got off with Provenza, I listened to the message. It was that, the initial police report of the break-in. When they saw my name on the contact list, they called Major Crimes, and then they spoke to Provenza. He's pulling the case now, but," Andy sighed and shook his head.

"That can't be a coincidence," Sharon leaned her head back and closed her eyes.


	53. Chapter 53

The ride home went much faster than either wanted; they talked about the break-in the entire time.

"Andy, Stroh has to be back, and he started with the condo," Sharon sighed after they had pulled out of the parking lot. Andy didn't disagree; he simply nodded as he drove.

"Provenza is going to call me when the team gets over to the condo. The brothers renting it keep it cleaner than you did, if that's possible. They are both executives, and neither is home much. They have a cleaner come each week. They are the perfect tenants if there is such a thing."

Sharon just nodded, "I feel so badly for them, to get dragged into my mess."

"Our mess," Andy corrected. "We're in this as a family," he reached for her hand and squeezed it. She nodded in return and turned to the window.

"Andy, the house!" she exclaimed as realization set in on her. If Stroh had been to the condo, he could set his sights on Andy's house next.

"Yeah, thought of that, and Provenza sent a unit over there. They looked in the windows and checked the whole house. Nothing out of the ordinary, so it seems like it's just your condo for now. Remember, when Stroh left, we weren't dating."

Sharon hummed as she shifted her eyes toward him, "Said the two of us. To the rest of the world, we were, and we acknowledge that now. He has to know we were together."

"Still, the house is fine," he nodded. "I'll be careful when I go home, and I'll ask Provenza to send units over there each day to check on it until I get home."

Sharon just nodded and put her head against the headrest again, "Of all days, Rusty's party," she sighed.

"Let's not tell the kid about this today. You know I'm not for keeping things from him either, but for at least today, let's not tell him. Let him have one good day, one day in this mess to feel like a kid, like a kid who just accomplished something important because he did."

Sharon nodded, "You're right. We can tell him tomorrow. Tonight, it will be about Rusty."

They continued the rest of the drive speculating about the condo. Both wondered what Stroh might have been after in the condo, and they both wondered if he even realized Sharon and Rusty were not living there. They speculated that it could be a warning sign, but they also knew that was a risky one.

"You know," Andy pointed with his finger as he turned into the driveway, "maybe Stroh didn't even realize you and Rusty weren't living there. If he's been all over the country dealing with people from his past, he might not have eyes on LA. He might just have assumed you two were there, and even with the break-in during the day, it might have been to get some info on the two of you. He'd know you were at work and Rusty at school."

"I want to know how nothing was caught on security. That's what Provenza told you," Sharon looked to him.

Andy nodded, "Initial reports, your building, full of security cameras, caught nothing. Stroh. All Stroh. Professional and able to deactivate cameras."

Sharon closed her eyes and sighed. "Andy, I don't like this."

"I don't either, but we're home. Let's table this; we have to do that for now. Our kid graduated. Let's celebrate or pretend to for now," he rolled his eyes.

Sharon nodded in silence, and she looked to the house. "We've kept him safe here for over a year."

"And, we'll continue," Andy put his hand on hers. He nodded at her, and the two both opened their car doors to head to the house. "Let's get this party started. We can't do anything but worry until we hear more from Provenza."

The two tried to put their worries aside as they set up Rusty's party. They had arranged tables before the ceremony, and they had also picked up Rusty's cake. The party was set to start in just under an hour, and they expected Rusty home around the time of the party. With the burgers ready for the grill, the sides prepared, and the table ready, the two glanced at each other.

"I can't stop thinking about LA," Sharon rolled her eyes. Andy just nodded, and before he could speak, his phone rang again. Sharon's eyes lit up as she looked to him.

"Provenza again," he nodded to her, and then he clicked on the speaker, so Sharon could hear what was said.

"Hey Provenza," Andy told him. "What's the story?"

"Well, definitely looks like a professional job. The camera feeds were cut, and Buzz can't get anything from them. Whoever wanted into the apartment, got in without being detected. It doesn't look like anything was taken; the place was ransacked. Guys living there seem nice; both were there when we went to the place, and from what they could tell us, it looked like the intruder was going through the desk. All of the paperwork was scattered almost as if the intruder was looking for something."

Andy nodded, and he looked to Sharon who also nodded, "Sounds like someone looking for information, possibly Sharon's whereabouts."

"Correct," Provenza told him. "That's what Mike and I are thinking too. I sent another unit to your place, and it's fine. I'll stop by there when we finish here to make sure it's locked up and not disturbed."

"Thanks," Andy told him. "That helps a lot. Any idea what time all this happened?"

"The brothers went to work before six, and they came home between around nine last night. We're just getting it today because as I said, it took time to track you as the contact and then to track you to Major Crimes."

"Okay," Andy ran his hand over his forehead. "Ahh, I'm going to check in with Nicole too. I don't like this at all, Provenza."

"We don't either," he replied. "Mike and the techs have been all over the condo trying to find fingerprints. We're getting plenty, but all belong to the brothers. Flynn, this guy was a pro."

"Yeah," he sighed. "That's what worries us."

"Listen, I'll let you know more later. I'm guessing you are busy."

"About to be," Andy nodded. "Hey, thanks, Provenza."

"You, ahh, there, you take care," Provenza told them and hung up.

"He's back," Sharon's face had turned white as she gripped the kitchen chair and sat down. "He's back in LA."

"You aren't," he told her. "You're safe. The kids aren't there either, at least yours. I'm texting Nic now." Andy took a few moments to text back and forth with Nicole. She reported that things were normal, but she would keep her eye out. With Nicole finding out, she knew Andy had gone to Sharon, but that was all she knew; she didn't know where or any of the other details of his trip. Andy nodded to Sharon, satisfied that at least she was safe too.

The doorbell alerted them to their guests, and they found Becky, Mike, Kathy, and Eric outside together.

"Hello, Stranger!" Becky smiled at Andy. "Good to see you."

"Same to you," Andy grinned as he put on his best face for the afternoon. He didn't want his worry to show. "Come in, come in," he gestured. Sharon stood behind him, and she welcomed Becky and then Kathy into an embrace.

"Thank you both for coming," she said to them. "It means a lot to Chris."

"Where is he?" Becky grinned.

"Late to his own party," Andy smiled. "Teenagers," he rolled his eyes.

"Not as much," Sharon patted his arm and smiled. "He's 20."

"Right," Andy chuckled. "The last teenager is no more."

"Andy, you certainly have put a smile on Sandra's face. I haven't seen her happy like this in a very long time," Becky told him. Andy pulled Sharon into his side and kissed her head.

"Well, I hate that work keeps me away so much, but the week I'm here, I'm going to spoil her like crazy," Andy smiled as he said that.

"I'm home! Sorry I'm late," Rusty came running in the back door. "Hey, everyone," he smiled at the group. "Ahh, thanks for coming."

The group exchanged congratulations with Rusty while Sharon moved toward the kitchen with Andy right behind her. A few of Rusty's friends arrived just after he did, and soon, the house was full of people.

"So, these are my parents," Rusty said, and both Sharon and Andy looked up from the counter where they were getting the burgers ready for the grill. Becky and Kathy were at the table sipping wine and talking to Sharon and Andy. "This is Zach, Trevor, Callie, and Morgan," he nodded to the group of his friends. "Friends, my parents," he nodded.

"Hey, nice to meet you," Andy put his hand up to give him a second. He washed his hands, and then he turned to the group. Sharon, in the meantime, walked to the group with a large smile on her face.

"Hi, I'm his mom, and it's very nice to meet you. Thank you all for coming." Andy walked up behind her. "This is my husband," she gestured to Andy, and he nodded and shook hands with Rusty's friends.

"So, what embarrassing story can we tell?" Andy grinned as he looked to Sharon and then to Rusty. Rusty groaned, and he looked to his friends.

"Old people problem," Rusty hooked his hand at them. "Let's get something to drink." Rusty and his friends moved into the party, and soon, everyone began to mingle. Andy and Sharon spoke to his friends a few moments, and then they excused themselves to put the burgers on the grill.

Andy was at the grill when his phone rang again. Sharon was across the yard laughing with Becky and Kathy. Mike and Eric were near Andy, but when his phone rang, he turned to them. "Could one of you watch the burgers? I'm sorry, but this is my daughter." The men nodded, and Andy caught Sharon's attention as he held up the phone. Her eyes went wide, and he shook his head, trying to calm her. He stepped away from the group around to the side of the house. "Hey, Em, how are you?"

"Andy, hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but I didn't know if I should call," she said cryptically.

"You can always call, Sweetheart. What's going on? Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but I had an odd phone call from Dad. He got a call from his landlord; he's living in an apartment right now. His apartment door was found open mid-morning. Someone broke into the place. The police are handling it, but they don't seem too concerned about it being anything but a regular break-in."

"Whoa," Andy held up his hand and continued, "Jack's place was broken into today?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Look, I know my dad isn't anyone's favorite person, but I wanted to let you know. I also didn't know if there is something he should be doing."

"Hey, listen, I'm going to call Provenza and send him over there. I got a call this afternoon myself. Your mom's condo there was also broken into today. I was going to call you, but I knew right now you were at work."

"Mom's condo? She's not even there," Emily said, now visibly worried.

"I know," Andy nodded. "Em, I need you to be safe. This isn't looking good. Your mom's place, your dad's place. I think it's Stroh, and I think he's looking for your mom or any information on your mom."

"What about your place? You were closer to mom," Emily told him.

"Stroh may or may not know that," Andy pointed out. "I'm out of town right now, as you know. I'm going to call Provenza, and he's going to pay Jack a visit."

"Hmm, if there was ever a time for you to not have to deal with Dad, it's now," Emily said. "Andy, this is scary."

"It is, Em. Stay close to your phone. I'll be in touch," he told her.


	54. Chapter 54

Andy didn't get a chance to speak to Sharon during Rusty's party, at least not about Emily's call and the Jack update. He had wanted to tell her, but they had a lot of friends at the house, and this wasn't the type of information you told someone just in passing. Sharon could tell something was going on, and he'd told her, "Later," when she'd given him a look as she walked by him.

The party had gone well, that is if you consider getting the information that a serial killer is back in business in your former town. Rusty enjoyed himself, and for that, Sharon and Andy were happy. He deserved a day to be happy, to be proud, and they were going to make sure of that. Several of his friends stopped by for the party; Andy spent almost an hour at the grill, grilling up burger after burger. He smiled proudly when three of Rusty's friends happened to ask him if he had any veggie burgers, and he grilled them proudly for the kids. Sharon floated around, talking to their friends. Andy joined her when he was relieved at the grill for a few minutes by Mike. The party seemed to put many of their friends at ease about their marriage; the two were happy, as odd of a living situation as they might have.

Once the last guests had left, and that included Rusty, who had gone with his friends to the movies, Sharon closed the door and turned back to Andy.

"Who called you earlier? I know it's not good, and I know you couldn't tell me before now," she told him.

He nodded from the kitchen area, where he was standing by the table cleaning up more of the party mess. He gestured to the couch, "Let's sit."

"That bad?" Sharon scowled as she closed her eyes to groan.

"Afraid so," Andy told her. The two made their way to the couch, and Andy pulled Sharon's feet up to rub them while he spoke to her. He knew how much it calmed him when she would just touch his arm when he was worked up, and he hoped rubbing her feet after a long day in heels and hosting a party, would help her too.

"Emily called," and with that, Sharon raised her eyebrows to look at Andy. "Jack's place was broken into today too."

"Jack!" Sharon said and sat up, pulling her feet from Andy. "Of all the things you could say, I didn't expect that."

Andy nodded, "I know. Emily called me to let me know and see if there was anything I could do to help. Of course, she had no idea this is tied to Stroh; she just thought it was a random break-in. I slipped away to call Provenza quickly, and I told him about it. The team was going to head there after they finished at your condo."

"I just can't believe this," Sharon shook her head. Andy pulled her foot back into his lap and continued to work on it. He knew this was a lot to process. "I'm not sure what we should do next."

"We are going to let the team work this for now. You are safe, and I like knowing you are safe. Stroh obviously doesn't know where you are, and that's good with me. He also is desperate, reaching to Jack to find you. I thought I would call Jack. I know," he raised his hand at Sharon's look, "but, Emily was rattled, and I just want to let him know this isn't a personal vendetta; this is serious."

"Okay," Sharon nodded in agreement. "Can I listen? I won't say anything."

"Of course," he smiled. He pulled out his phone, his regular phone, and he looked up the number Emily had sent him. He dialed it, and Sharon moved closer so she could hear. Andy didn't want to put it on speaker phone and deal with questions about that.

"Jack, it's Andy," he said when Jack answered. Instantly, Jack's tone changed from professional, as he'd been when he had answered his phone, to annoyed.

"Flynn, what did I do to you to get your little buddies over here combing over my place? They just arrived, and if it isn't bad enough I've had officers here all afternoon, now, Major Crimes. If Sharon were here, I'd say it's revenge," Jack complained.

"How about you stop talking and just listen?" Andy suggested. Sharon patted his arm to keep him from getting irritated. Jack was good at irritating almost everyone. "I'm calling because Emily told me what is going on, and it's more than you think."

"Emily? Why did Emily call you?" Jack asked. Sharon rolled her eyes at Andy and shook her head.

"I talk to Emily all the time. Sharon asked me to do that, and I want to be in her life. I've been to New York several times, never seen you there, Jack," he flashed a fake grin toward Sharon. She sighed and gave Andy a look. He just nodded.

"You just have to stick your nose into my wife and kids' business, don't you? Where is my wife? A spouse has rights; I should have been told when they hauled her away," he complained.

Sharon put her left hand, her wedding ring hand, over Andy's left hand to calm him. Jack was irritating her, and she knew Andy had to be even worse. He looked at their two hands, their wedding rings, and he silently nodded. He understood to keep himself composed.

"Jack, you're right. Spouses do have rights," he said as he turned and smiled at Sharon. She smiled back at him. "You, Jack, are not her spouse, not anymore. That ship sailed, well, it sunk. You know Sharon and Rusty are safe. What we need to deal with right now is that you are not. Sharon's condo is not."

"The condo?" jack asked.

"That's why I am calling. We, and I mean Major Crimes, we believe Stroh is back in town and looking for any information about Sharon. Her condo was broken into earlier today. The brothers renting said the place was trashed. I was dealing with that, all by the way, while I'm out of town, when Emily called me to tell me your place had been broken into as well. That cannot be a coincidence."

"I don't know where she is!" Jack exclaimed.

"Well aware, Jack," Andy said as he shook his head toward Sharon. "Stroh is looking for clues. He's hit her place and yours. We are all trying to find him before he does something more."

"What about your place? You were awfully chummy with my wife before she disappeared," he pointed out.

"My place is secure, no change," Andy explained. "We're not sure Stroh knew about Sharon and me."

"Ahhh, so there it is, the first acknowledgement the two of you were going around behind my back!" Jack exclaimed.

"We weren't doing anything behind your back! She divorced you, in case you forgot, and we weren't involved," he sighed. "Let's stay focused."

"Fine," Jack grumbled. "How long are your people going to be here?"

"I don't know. Why don't you play nice and talk to Provenza? He's going to call me when he leaves, but I wanted to try and explain why the intrusion."

"Intrusion is right," Jack complained. "So, Stroh is back? I'm not involved in that?"

"You have been involved, in the fact, at least your kids' mother is gone! Have you bothered to check on them? My next call is to Ricky. What about you? Do you care about any of this? This man is a psychopathic serial killer, and he was in your apartment. I know you've defended your share of dirt bags, but this is a different level, Jack. Please, even you, I'm asking to be careful."

"It's not like I haven't thought of her," Jack grumbled. Sharon pulled back and looked to Andy. "I miss her. I miss at least seeing her, taking care of the kids. They keep trying to call me. That's been her department."

"Poor Jack, having to deal with his kids after all these years," Andy sighed. "Jack, I'm not going to feel sorry for you. Sharon isn't your wife, but you still have kids. They need to be the priority. There's a guy out there who wants nothing more than to get his hands on Sharon and Rusty. Emily and Ricky aren't far removed from all that, and you need to focus."

"Rusty is not my concern," Jack pointed out. "I made sure I was not listed on that adoption petition, but you know that because it's the reason for my divorce."

"It's not the reason, and any decent human being would care about that kid! I care about that kid, always have, Jack! You keep dodging the issue, your safely and that of your kids. Now, go and answer the questions from Provenza. Do what he says. I'm going to talk to Ricky," Andy told him.

"Flynn, look, this whole thing, is Sharon really in danger?" Jack asked as he changed his angle.

"She could be, Jack," Andy frowned as he looked at Sharon. "A lot of people, myself included, want to make sure she's kept safe. That goes back to finding Stroh, once and for all. Jack, just do the right thing. For once in your life, be a parent."

Andy and Jack hung up, and Sharon moved back toward the middle of the couch. She looked to Andy, and he shook his head. "Sharon, I'll say it one last time. I don't know how you married that guy."

Sharon pursed her lips and nodded, "Lucky for you, I got it right the second time."

"I can't believe he's not concerned," Andy sighed.

"I know, but that's Jack, deflecting the problem. He has always done that. I'm sorry, but thank you for trying," she said.

"Let me call Ricky," Andy looked to her, and she agreed. She slid next to him while he dialed her middle child, and she almost teared up when she heard his voice.

"Hey, Andy, what's up?" Ricky said.

"Hey, sorry to bother you at work, but I'll make this fast. We think Stroh is back. He broke into the condo, and he broke into your dad's place. We're pretty sure it's him because of the coincidence of things. We think he's looking for information regarding your mother's whereabouts."

"Whoa," Ricky said. "I wasn't expecting that. Wow, umm, okay, so what do I need to do?" Ricky asked.

"Stay vigilant. Check your place, and make sure it's locked up tight. Anything out of the ordinary, you call the police. Same with Mandy. She's a pretty girl. Stroh likes pretty girls, and he often reaches to the extremes to mess with people. It wouldn't be out of his norm to reach that far. You two be safe, and keep in contact."

"Yeah, I will," Ricky told him. "Andy, I'll do all that. I got a conceal carry permit."

Sharon's eyes grew wide, as she looked to Andy. He squeezed her shoulder, and he turned his attention back to Ricky. "Good. You're being safe. Last resort, you remember that. I wish you would have told me. I would have taken you to the range."

"I've got a buddy up here in the sheriff's office. He's helped me, and I'm a decent shot. I keep practicing. Runs in my blood," he said, and Sharon knew he had to be smiling.

"Well," Andy winked at Sharon, "I've never known a better shot than your mom. I'll let you get back to work, but keep in touch. I'll be back in LA early next week."

"Oh, right, you're out of town. Hey, try to relax, but how, I don't know. Thanks, Andy. I'll be safe," he said and hung up.

Andy turned to Sharon, "So, we need to talk game plan. I don't want to leave you alone here, but I feel like LA is a mess too."

Sharon nodded, "I know. I don't know what to do either. Andy, if he finds out you are involved in this, you will be his next target."

"I know," Andy ran his hand over his face. "I've thought of that too."

The two continued to talk. They talked for awhile, and then they cleaned up the party as they talked more. They finally decided to relax in their bedroom, and they found a movie on television to try and distract their thoughts. They weren't even 15 minutes into the movie when they heard Rusty come home.

"I'll have him come back here," Andy said as he got out of bed. They'd both gotten ready for bed before they'd cozied up to watch their movie. He groaned as he stood, his back worn out from the long day, and then he went to the doorway.

"Rusty," Andy called to him as he came into view at the end of the hallway. Rusty looked to Andy, standing there in his pajama pants and t-shirt. "Would you come in here, please?"

"Ahh, sure," Rusty told him. "Let me use the restroom first. I drank a large soda at the movies."

Andy nodded and turned back to the room. Sharon, who had slid down to where she was almost asleep, sat up, and she nodded to Andy as he climbed back into bed.

"What's up?" Rusty said a couple minutes later and stopped immediately as he entered the room. "Really?" he turned up his nose at seeing them in bed. "You don't expect me to curl up between the two of you to watch whatever movie you have on," he said as he turned toward the television.

"Ha, funny guy," Sharon smirked.

"Rusty, sit," Andy gestured to the bottom of the bed.

"Wait, what's wrong? I like really appreciate the party, and I'm sorry I ran out without helping you two clean up. Yeah, that was a crappy thing to do," he nodded as Andy turned to Sharon and rolled his eyes. Sharon covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. They were going to let Rusty "confess" before they got to the matter at hand. "I also wanted to thank you both for the party and for everything. I know this whole thing is crazy, but you both made sure I got through school. Sharon, you've been the best mom a kid could want, and Andy, well, you're not so bad as a dad-like guy too," he smiled slightly. "I'm sorry I ran out."

"Rusty, this isn't a lecture about behavior," Sharon stopped him, as she adjusted in her spot. "We need to talk to you about something else."

Rusty frowned at them, and Andy started to explain, "Provenza called me earlier today. Someone broke into the condo, tossed the place, looking for information. Nothing appears to have been taken."

"Wow," Rusty's eyes grew wide. "That's crazy."

"Rusty, Jack's place was also broken into today," Sharon added.

"Whoa, Jack's place?" Rusty stood, now worried. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"Emily called me during your party. Rusty, we haven't lied to you yet, so here it goes. We think it's Stroh," Andy said.

"Stroh? He's back?" Rusty exclaimed. "So, what does that mean for all of us?"

"It means it's time to catch this monster and end all this," said Andy.


	55. Chapter 55

Things got tense around the house over the weekend. There was no fighting, no problem between the three, but the tension came from thoughts of Stroh. No one could help it; they all wanted him gone, and until he was, they didn't feel safe. It was the first time in a long time Sharon felt on edge. She hadn't realized just how much she had let her guard down in Ohio. On one hand, that felt good, to live as a "normal" citizen, but on the other, she wanted to kick herself for being an officer of the law and letting down her guard. She wasn't going to do it again; she needed to be on high alert, for Rusty, for her family.

"Sharon, we finished all the yard work," Andy walked in and yelled to her. He ddn't realize she was sitting at the kitchen table paying bills. Well, she was sitting, but her mind was wandering. The bills sat, still unpaid. "Oh, sorry," he gave her a sympathetic smile as he took off his shoes at the door and then moved to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. "I didn't see you sitting there when I stepped in the door."

Sharon hummed at him as he moved by her. He leaned down and kissed her head. "Just trying to pay bills."

"How's that working out for you?" Andy asked as he washed his hands.

"They aren't paid, and it's not a money issue," she sighed. "I can't stop thinking about everything." She stopped talking when Rusty came in just where Andy had come in the house. He repeated the same action of taking off his shoes, and then he looked to them.

"Hey, now that I'm all sweaty and gross from cutting the grass, not to mention covered in grass clippings, I'm going to take a shower," he nodded to them. Both Sharon and Andy gave him a silent nod, and Rusty disappeared down the hall.

Andy moved about the kitchen and poured a glass of iced tea for himself, and when he glanced toward Sharon, he poured her one too, seeing as she didn't have anything out to drink. He put the glass down in front of her and sat next to her.

"Rusty is getting pretty good with the mower," he told her as he sipped his drink. "Who would have ever thought Rusty would deal with landscape and mowing?" Andy grinned as he looked to Sharon and winked at her. "You know you can't obsess over this. I'm trying really hard not to myself."

"Hmm, how's that working out for you?" Sharon asked as she put her head in her hand and looked to Andy, repeating the same phrase he'd just asked her.

He frowned and rolled his eyes at her, "Not good," he told her, "I almost killed your bushes out there. I got caught up in my thoughts and almost murdered the thing. Then, I remembered that's how you like your outside shrubbery," he grinned, joking about her last trip to LA where the two had argued about yard work. Sharon's tense expression broke, and she started to laugh. Andy leaned in, and the two kissed as they kept their foreheads together.

"Who kisses over paying bills?" Rusty groaned as he moved through the dining area.

"I thought you were taking a shower," Sharon pointed out to him, as she sat back in her chair, and Andy did the same in his.

"I'm like going to die of thirst," he nodded. "Where's the fairy tale for the wicked father or step-father? Cinderella got her story; I'd like mine. He's a slave driver," Rusty nodded to Andy.

"Oh, pardon me for asking a 20-year old, an able and strong one, to help clear the dead branches. You're a lot younger than I am, and your back won't be in agony for a week like mine will." Andy rolled his eyes at Sharon as he sipped his iced tea.

Sharon saw the perfect opportunity to make Rusty squirm. "I'll just have to give you a good back rub, or even better, a nice massage," Sharon grinned at Andy.

Rusty, who had take a big gulp from his water cup, moved quickly to the sink and spit out his water, "Oh, come on!"he groaned. "Ugh, I don't need that image."

"Hmm," Sharon put her head on her folded hands as she looked to Andy, "Oh, I'll say more to cement that image in my head." Andy just chuckled and closed his eyes as he shook his head.

"I'm getting that shower," Rusty nodded and almost ran to the bathroom.

"You're evil," Andy grinned at her.

She shrugged, "He'll get over it. He wouldn't be the first kid embarrassed by his parents."

Andy continued to shake his head, and the two sat there, looking at each other in silence. "I think I decided I should go back early."

Sharon just nodded, "I came to the same conclusion." The two had discussed what Andy should do with the current situation in LA. While neither wanted him to leave, he was needed back at work. Andy had argued that leaving Sharon left her vulnerable, but she'd also pointed out that Stroh didn't know where she was, and that the kids were the vulnerable ones. Neither Andy nor Sharon would ever be the same if they let their desire to be with each other interfere with the safety of their kids.

"You did?" Andy looked to her with surprise. "I really wanted to tell you my mind was telling me to stay," he sighed.

"But," she leaned in and wrapped her arm around his arm, "you are a good man, a good detective, a good father, and a wonderful husband."

"Just a good detective?"he looked to her with a sad face.

"Oh, the best," she kissed his nose and smiled at him. "I hate sending you home, but it is the right decision. The faster Stroh is caught, the sooner we can come home."

He nodded, "This is home," he used his hand to draw circles on her arm. She shrugged.

"It's not our home. Our home is in LA. This is temporary, a safe place. It's the place we fell in love," she smiled sweetly at him.

He raised his eyebrows at her, "Here? Ahh, news for you, Beautiful. I already knew I loved you well before you came here."

She grinned bashfully, "Yes, well, I should clarify that this is where we figured out everything. I admitted only as I was being hauled away from everything I knew as my life, that I was in love with you. Here," she gestured to the house, "we figured it out."

"We did," he nodded. "We figured it out because you and Rusty have been kept safe. I need to go back. I need to help the team and help end all this mess."

Sharon leaned back and folded her hands on the table, "When did you decide to go?"

"I'll fly back tomorrow," he told her. "I want to go to Mass with you and Rusty, and then I can leave after that."

Sharon nodded, "You'll go; we'll be safe here."

The rest of the day passed quickly, especially after Andy and Sharon told Rusty he would be leaving the next day. Rusty was not vocal about Andy's comings and goings, but as soon as he found out Andy was going back to LA, he hauled out the chess board, and the two spent a good part of the afternoon playing chess. That gave Sharon time to prepare a nice, family dinner, which they all enjoyed later in the evening.

"I'm still stuffed from spaghetti," Andy clutched his stomach as he flopped onto the bed later that night. Sharon was already in bed reading her latest book. Andy had taken longer, as he'd had to pack his bag again.

Sharon pursed her lips and looked over to him. She grinned, and nodded at him, "Perhaps next time you should stop at two helpings."

"I can't help myself; you're such a good cook," he groaned.

Sharon started to laugh as she put her bookmark in her book, "That's not what the kids say. I'm a good police officer I'm a terrible cook."

"Not to me," he grumbled as he reached over and tugged on her arm so she would stretch out next to him. "You're a great cook. Dinner was fantastic."

"You're desperate," she teased. "Desperate for a good meal, desperate to flirt, desperate," she burst out laughing when he started to tickle her side.

"My ears, guys!" Rusty yelled from down the hall. Sharon and Andy grinned at each other, and he continued to tickle her. They might have to live apart again soon, but they were going to enjoy each moment together.


	56. Chapter 56

Andy arrived early to work on his first day back, Monday morning. He wanted to get caught up on the case, and with his jet lag, he hadn't slept well anyway. Provenza was pulling in as Andy got out of his car. He waited for him so they could walk up together.

"Catch me up," Andy nodded to him.

"You're slipping," Provenza rolled his eyes and nodded to Andy's hand. Andy gave Provenza a panicked expression and quickly pulled off his wedding ring.

"Thanks," he nodded. "Hate taking that off."

"I never had that problem before," Provenza huffed. "Now, I think I understand. Not only would Patrice kill me if I took off this ring, I really don't want to do so." Provenza had gotten married in March; Andy had told Sharon all about the wedding during his visit, and the two had gotten a good laugh as he described it. Now, both men were married, something that hadn't been the case for the two in quite some time.

"You actually love her," Andy grinned. "That's what it is, and you're taking part in a real adult relationship. Sharon doesn't have to take off her rings at least, but I hate it. Look at us, now, all grown up."

Provenza mumbled something, and then he got more serious as they reached the elevator. "How are they dealing with the developments?" Provenza asked as they walked. With him knowing the basics about Sharon and Rusty, he felt comfortable enough asking.

"Okay," he nodded, "a little freaked out, at least Rusty is. Sharon is worried about all of us, about the kids. She feels safe where she and Rusty are, but she's worried Emily or Ricky could be a target. Of course, we are both concerned about my kids too especially if Stroh ever does figure out I'm connected to Sharon. For now, If he's reaching to Jack's place, he doesn't know where they are."

"Yeah, well I certainly hope you didn't compromise anything," Provenza huffed as they got onto the elevator.

"Lay off, okay," Andy frowned. "I've been doing this awhile now, and I am not an idiot. I do know how to be discrete and not leave a treasure map pointing to them."

Provenza just nodded in silence, and the two rode up on the elevator. Once they were within their own work area, Provenza pulled out the board on which they had laid out their information.

"We know the timing of the two incidents was enough the same person could have broken into both places. Also, each residence was wiped clean, nothing taken, but both places were tossed. The person was looking for something, and what bugs me is it's almost like he is taunting us, not concerned if we tie the two scenes together."

"That because he's a psycho. He has a focus, and right now, he's not planning to stop until he gets to Rusty," Andy added. "Any movement on any of his other targets?"

"No, since we worked the crime scenes all weekend, we asked the FBI to check into the other Stroh connections. Knowing just how much we love the FBI, I'm not convinced they did anything. That is a focus for today, to make contact again with his former contacts to verify things are okay with all of them. I'd also like to update them on our latest development. These people need to understand the man will stop at nothing to get what he wants," Provenza stated.

"Lieutenants," Julio greeted them as he entered. "Ahh, I beat Davis today. Good. She's been riding me about coming in later than she does," he rolled his eyes. "Lieutenant, nice to see you. I'm guessing you're getting the Stroh update."

"I am," he nodded. "I spoke to both kids again yesterday while I was traveling. They are okay and trying to be vigilant. I'm glad Emily is so far removed from this; Ricky has a conceal carry permit now, which makes me feel better about that."

The men didn't get to discuss the Stroh case much longer. Davis walked in and glared at them. "We've been requested for a case. That," she gestured to their board, "is your hobby, not our concern right now."

"Ma'am, we were consulted on the breaking and entering cases at the captain's condo and her ex-husband's apartment," Julio stated, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Consulted, not the primary division on the case. Per my recommendation, the chief has kicked the case back to Robbery/Homicide," she smirked.

"You can't be serious!" Andy exclaimed. "It's all Stroh! That's been our domain for years. We're even working with the FBI, Provenza has been working with the FBI," he gestured, now very irritated. "Chief, this is OUR case. It affects our own, someone from our division."

"It affects a former police captain's also former residence. The other incident involves said former police captain's ex-husband. Neither require Major Crimes; they will be investigated by Robbery/Homicide. The FBI is still working on the Stroh case, and IF," she took time to look at each person, if they need our assistance, they will ask. As I said, a former captain's residence, not even the captain herself."

"She's only a former one because she was hauled away into witness protection!" Andy exclaimed. Provenza grabbed his arm to stop him from saying anything more to Davis. Andy continued, "She would still be here, still running Major Crimes if this mess hadn't developed. There's no random act here that it was her residence, her ex-husband's residence. All Stroh!" He yelled again and stopped.

"Lieutenant, you have been on vacation, so you might want to snap back into work mode before you make a BIG mistake," she enunciated and crossed her arms. "Your personal feelings for the former captain do not belong in our case."

Andy was ready to explode with anger, but Provenza interrupted. "Chief, what is this other case? The sooner we deal with this case you have for us, the sooner we can move onto other things," he turned and gave Andy a look. Andy just sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. He heard Davis begin talking, but he didn't process anything she said.

The rest of the week proceeded in much the same manner. The Stroh case was put on the back burner, and as much as the team wanted to work on the case on the side, Davis kept lurking. They weren't sure if she ever went home; she was always there, always in Sharon's office. Yes, she had taken over the office, but the team knew it really belonged to Sharon. Davis had completely changed the décor, and she had moved out Sharon's small couch, desk, and chair. Andy wasn't sure where the furniture had been moved; he figured it had been taken to storage somewhere, but the office overhaul had happened the exact day Davis had taken over back in April. For the first time in a long time, Andy had no trouble keeping his eyes off that office. He even hated having his desk so close to the woman, but he didn't want to change desks; he just wanted to change office occupants.

Andy and Sharon had agreed he would call with updates, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had none. He still wanted to call her, and finally after he'd been home a week, he couldn't stand it anymore and called her.

"Hey, Gorgeous," he grinned as soon as he heard her voice.

"Hello, yourself. I'm just relaxing on this Sunday afternoon. I hope you have an update?"she asked.

Andy let out a long sigh, and he sat back on his couch, "I wish I did. I just finished a case, late last night. Davis and well, Taylor, pulled us off the case. We were told it wasn't a case that fit our mold."

"I'm sorry," Sharon said sadly. "I know her style is much different than mine. Even if I'd been told to back off on the case-" she trailed off.

"We, even if it was just you and I, would have found a way to continue on our own time. Yeah, we've all been trying to do that, but Davis barely leaves the office. I think she's even sleeping there if that's possible. She's there late into the night and always there when we return in the morning."

"I just hope the team or even the FBI can end this soon," Sharon sighed.

"Yeah, you know we are desperate when we are hoping the FBI can help," he chuckled.

"How are you? Enough about this mess. I miss you," she said.

"Fine," he told her. "Okay," he corrected. "I miss you too. I went off on Davis the other day. It reminded me of when we used to go rounds, but no fear," he grinned and continued, "she's not my type."

Sharon burst out laughing, "Hmm, that's good to hear, the type, not that you went off on Davis. Andy, you can't lose your cool with your boss just because you are frustrated with the situation."

"I know," he told her. "Let's not talk about Davis. What's going on with Rusty? You haven't mentioned him yet."

"Hm, Rusty," she said. "He's doing well. We are going to orientation next week. When he had first registered for orientation, he'd signed up for the last session thinking he would go right before school starts. They have four sessions spread out over the summer. Anyway, he talked to a friend who told him that the late orientation sessions are not a good idea because many of the classes are full. That's when you register for classes, and by then, most of the good time slots are unavilable. So, he tried to change the registration online and couldn't, but they were running a wait list. He put his name on that, and he was notified Friday afternoon he could come to the first session next week. I changed my work schedule, and we are going."

"Wow, great," Andy smiled. "I am sure he's excited. I'm still going to be there when he moves into the dorms in August. You know that."'

"I know," she told him too. "We will send him off to college then, together. I'm anxious to take him to orientation. I think it will be a good trip for the two of us."

Sharon and Andy spoke another few minutes, and when they finished, Andy started pacing in his house. He'd put up his own board in his closet again, much like he had done when he was searching for Sharon. He decided to make a cup of coffee and spend the rest of the afternoon on his board. He was almost done making his coffee when he had a knock at the door.

"There's no baseball game on this afternoon," he told Provenza when he opened the door. Provenza scowled.

"I know that. I wouldn't have driven all the way here to be that stupid. Let's talk the case. We're finally out of earshot of Davis."

"Come in," Andy gestured. "You read my mind. I was just making a pot of coffee to go over things."

"I've got some thoughts," he nodded. "Get me a cup of coffee, and we can get to work."


	57. Chapter 57

It was the end of the week. The team had Monday to finish paperwork, and overnight, they'd caught another case that had taken them until Wednesday afternoon to solve. Thankfully, it hadn't been too in depth, and they had wrapped it quickly. It had prevented Andy and Provenza from making much progress on the case. They had worked all Sunday afternoon, come up with a couple possible ideas or potential leads, but nothing had panned out as they tried to research those ideas between their casework. It was now Thursday afternoon, and the room was quiet again. Davis had left at lunch to head to a weekend conference, and the team had let out a collective sigh of relief the moment she left the office.

"Provenza, are you going to update us on the work you and Andy have done this week?" Mike asked.

Provenza threw a look at him, "Soon. We need to make sure Davis has really left. It's only been 10 minutes. She could easily be floating around the building. I think we jumped the gun a few years ago when we labeled someone as our wicked witch; a certain new boss seems to truly live up to that title."

The team chuckled, and they continued with their work after Provenza told them he would do an update in a half hour.

Now, with everyone working quietly, Provenza's desk phone startled all of them. "Lieutenant Provenza," he answered. No one paid much attention as he took his call, but the call was enough to almost wake up the rest of them.

"Hey, Buzz, want to mess whit Davis again and move her pictures again?" Julio grinned at him.

"Move her pictures? What have you two been doing?" Amy asked.

"Oh, Davis is really crazy about her hanging photos and awards. Buzz and I discovered that one day when she walked right up to Buzz to demand to know if she could watch video from her office," Julio explained.

"Right, Julio and I were talking, and she demanded to know who moved around her awards. I told her I didn't have achieved feed set on her office, but it turned out the cleaning staff had just made an innocent mistake, bumped the wall, and they'd hung them up wrong. Now, every now and then, Julio and I rearrange a few things just to annoy her. She knows she can't yell at anyone for what looks like a simple thing, a simple mistake."

Andy started to chuckle., "Oh, that's funny. I'm surprised Davis hasn't set up her own surveillance, yet," he smiled.

"Hmm, that would be like her," Julio shook his head. "Buzz, we might have to think of another tactic."

Andy's cell phone rang, and he frowned when he noticed it was the desk downstairs. "Lieutenant Flynn," he answered, and the team continued to look between Provenza and Andy. He walked toward the hall and back again as he continued with the call, running his hand over his face. He hung up and walked back, noting Provenza was on the phone.

"Something wrong, Sir?" Julio asked.

"My house," he started, "my nosy neighbor who lives behind me noticed someone at my house, at least in the backyard. Someone broke into my house. There's no way this was a coincidence. Patrol got the call, and I guess my neighbor doesn't have my number. They are going there now." Andy moved to his chair and sat, running his hands over his face. "Pictures. I have pictures everywhere in the house, pictures of Sharon ," he started talking to himself, the rest of the team silently watching; they were all stunned and wondering what was going on with Provenza. Something was wrong, and no one knew what to do.

"Sir, let's head there now," Julio stood and started to put on his jacket. Mike did the same, and Buzz reached for his camera. Amy started turning of the computers.

Conversation halted when Provenza hung up and stood up. "Listen, everyone!"he yelled. The team all turned quickly because unless the FBI was involved, Provenza didn't yell in the office.

"We have movement possibly on the Stroh front,"he said quickly. Everyone focused their attention on him.

"Lieutenant, we know," Amy said before he could say more. "We just got word about the lieutenant's house," she nodded toward Andy.

"Flynn's house?" Provenza looked confused as he glanced to Andy. "No, this isn't about Flynn's house."

"Stroh? Did they get him? Did the FBI get a lead?" Andy stood and started to sputter out question after question. Provenza raised his hand. "Did they find him after he got into my house?"

"Flynn!" He said excitedly. "He's been shot, or at least they think it's Stroh. We are awaiting confirmation from the hospital."

"Shot? Who?" Andy asked. The rest of the team listened and started to stand and gather their things.

"That was patrol. They called me because we've had an alert out mainly on another person who apparently is tied up in this, and the pieces started to fall into place when they figured out who it was," Provenza started to explain.

"Wait, another person, an alert," Andy shook his head. "I'm not following."

"Sharon Beck," Provenza nodded. "Stroh broke into her place just awhile ago when she was home. Apparently, she lives in some dive, one of those dive motel type places. The next door neighbor was home, and you know how thin those walls are. Stroh, or who they suspect is Stroh, was going to try to kill her, and the neighbor burst in and shot him. Sharon Beck was high as a kite, and her apartment was loaded with more drugs than most drug stores, but this could be over soon, very soon."

Andy stood and started shaking his head. "It's got to be him. My house, Sharon Beck, all Stroh, trying to find Rusty and Sharon. It's Stroh." The team all looked at each other, wide-eyed, no one sure what to say. They all wanted to believe this could be over, but it easily could be a case of a mistaken identity. "We need to find out if it's Stroh."

"Already working on that, Flynn," he raised a hand. "The FBI has also been alerted, and they're on their way to the hospital. It should be a matter of minutes, and hopefully, we'll know if we can bring the captain home. I ordered patrol to handcuff themselves to him if necessary; no one is to leave his side, no matter what."

"I can't believe it!" Andy exclaimed as he started to pace. "This has to be Stroh. Sharon Beck. He must have put together who she was and where she was. Oh, Sharon," he shook his head. "She might finally be coming home. My wife finally might be coming home." The team, all scrambling to get going, paused and looked to Andy. "I'm going to that hospital. I'm not going to wait on the FBI for any tidbit of information they might give us."

"Wife?" Amy raised her eyebrows and looked to Andy. "Wait, what?"


	58. Chapter 58

Andy stopped pacing as soon as he registered what he'd said, which was the same moment Amy asked her question.

"Wife?" Amy raised her eyebrows and looked to Andy. "Wait, what?"

Andy sighed as he scratched his head. He was looking at Amy, with Provenza standing behind her. The team had all been on their way out, ready to go to the hospital to verify the identity of the man who had plagued them for years. Provenza just shook his head, a shake Andy took as defeat, and Andy just nodded as he looked to Amy. He turned to the rest of the team to give his long-awaited explanation.

"So, funny story," he stared to chuckle, his nervous chuckle, as he glanced around the room. He couldn't focus on Provenza; he knew the guy was probably rolling his eyes at Andy as he spoke. He decided to look toward Mike, as the guy's expressions were usually pretty stoic, and besides that, he'd at least known Andy had been in contact with Sharon. "That was a slip of the tongue, so to speak, but it wasn't," he shrugged. The team continued to look at him. Julio moved more into his line of vision, and he noted a grinning face on the guy. "Surprise," he shrugged again. "Yes, Sharon and I are married."

"Holy crap!" He heard Mike exclaim. He shook his head, so much for thinking Mike was the neutral one to focus on for this announcement.

"Married?" Buzz chimed in. "When did that happen?"

"Wait, if you're married, why are you here, and she's somewhere else?" Amy asked, her expression surprised.

"Folks," Provenza jumped into the conversation, and all eyes turned to him. "As much fun as this little wedding story could be, we have somewhere to be and most definitely someone to identify. You can question Flynn all you want at a later date. Look at him," Provenza gestured to Andy, who was trying to keep himself from grinning. "He's a grinning fool. I bet he's got his wedding ring on him too."

Andy snapped his head up at Provenza, and he then dug out his wallet. He opened a small compartment on it, and he pulled out his ring. "I hate not wearing this thing," he grinned. "If it's Stroh," he looked to the ring, "I'm putting this on and not ever taking it off again. I'll bring Sharon home."

"It's really true!" Julio grinned. "Way to go, Sir, but there's definitely a story there to tell."

"Folks!" Provenza yelled again. "Stroh. Hospital. Get a move on it."

"Right!" Amy exclaimed, and Andy nodded too. "This could all be over soon."

The team moved quickly, and Provenza yelled for Andy. The two met up as the team was scrambling to get out of the office. "Flynn, I'm driving. You're riding."

Andy just nodded, and the team started to pair up for the drive. Amy and Julio paired up, and Mike grabbed Buzz with his gear, to ride with him. The elevator ride to the garage seemed to take forever, no one on the team willing to discuss more of Andy's admission, at least not outside the safety of their office. Once in the garage, Provenza gave instructions for the team as they all went to their cars.

"Lights and sirens, people," Provenza told them, as he nodded from the back of his SUV. "This case has been plaguing us, and if it doesn't call for lights and sirens, I don't know what does."

Andy climbed in the SUV and buckled up. Provenza did the same, and neither spoke until they were clear of the garage. "Sorry that slipped," Andy sighed as he started the conversation. He drummed his fingers on his lap and stopped when he glanced at his ring finger and the ring on it. "I'm not telling Sharon anything until we know, not about my house break in or Sharon Beck."

Provenza just nodded, "I think we will have an answer to all of this soon. No need to worry her or get her hopes up. As far as Sharon Beck, they brought her to the hospital as well. Her narcotic stash won't go well for her, and if the neighbor did shoot Stroh, I might give him a medal," Provenza chuckled.

"You know if it is Stroh, I'm on the first flight out of here. I'm bringing her home," Andy explained.

"I'd expect nothing else," Provenza said. "I'd make sure you had lights and sirens to the airport."

The ride through town didn't take that long, especially since they were in a hurry and using lights and sirens. Yes, they'd told the patrol officers not to take their eyes off Stroh, or whom they assumed to be Stroh, but the team knew that asking patrol to do things didn't always work out as planned. As the team finally pulled up to the hospital, they noted a lot of patrol cars, as well as some unmarked SUVs, which they knew had to belong to the FBI. The team parked quickly and all assembled, ready to find out more.

"Sykes, Mike, and Julio, you go and see what you can find out about Sharon Beck. She's part of this, and this is the first she's even surfaced in over a year," Provenza explained.

Andy jumped in, "Last Rusty heard, she'd gotten out of rehab, and she had slipped, gone back to rehab, and well, that's been it. Sounds like she's out of rehab again," he explained.

Mike nodded and looked to Provenza, "We'll deal with Sharon Beck. Do we know if she was injured or assaulted?"

"No, we don't know anything about her condition," Provenza stated. "Keep us posted," and with that Mike and the others went in search of Sharon Beck. They started toward the ER, hopeful they could get more of an update. Provenza looked to Andy and Buzz. "Let's go and see what we can find," he nodded to the desk.

It took a few minutes and a few flashes of their badges before the men found themselves on the surgical floor. When the elevator doors opened, they found the waiting area swarming with FBI and patrol officers. Provenza made his way to the senior patrol officer to get an update, while Andy went to the nurses' station to find out the situation. He was surprised to find Fritz there too.

"Fritz," Andy nodded, a small smile on his face.

"Andy," he greeted him. "Word I can get from the FBI is that they are 95% it's him.

"Oh, that's good news," Andy clutched his chest. "Really good news, Fritz."

Fritz nodded, "I know. I haven't told Brenda anything yet. She's traveling, been in Atlanta the last week with her dad. She's probably just getting on the plane now," he said as he glanced at his watch, "and well, I can't have her trying to take over the cockpit to get the plane here faster to find out. I'll let her know when she lands, and we know more. I'm sure your team is ready to bring the captain home."

Andy gave a small smile as he glanced around. He nodded, "You have no idea."

"I think I do," he grinned at Andy. "I'd say getting your boss back is just one of many reasons you'd like to see the captain again."

"No comment," Andy shook his head and chuckled. "No comment at all. I just want her home."

"Flynn," Provenza said as he walked up to the two men. "Fritz," he nodded to him. "I hear they think it's Stroh."

Fritz nodded, "Yes, they still see me as FBI, even though I'm with the LAPD now, but I got some inside information. Guy was shot twice, and he's been in surgery for awhile now."

"That's what I just heard," Provenza stated.

All eyes turned to the set of double doors as they opened, and a doctor stepped out. He looked around the room, surprised at the size of the group. One of the FBI agents in charge walked over to him, flashed his badge, and the doctor just nodded. He looked to the group, "The man who was brought in is gone. He died on the table. Now, whether he is Mr. Stroh, that I will leave up to all of you."

Movement started instantly in the room, and several people started making phone calls. The doctor was always swarmed with agents, and both Provenza and Andy looked at Fritz. He nodded at them, "We'll get an id today. I can promise that. Let me see if I can pull some strings so the LAPD can be on that initial notification."

Andy and Provenza nodded. Provenza turned to Andy as Fritz walked away, "You realize you need to pack a bag."

Andy shrugged, "I'm good. I've got enough there to get me through. I will walk out of here and get on a plane."

They were interrupted by Provenza's phone. He groaned as he read the caller id, "Davis. Let me tell you that I can't wait for her to be out of our department. She needs to go, and I will personally help her pack. You know I don't do anything like that, but I'll do it to rid our department of Davis."

"Yes, Chief," he said as he answered. He rolled his eyes at Andy. "The suspect passed away just moments ago on the operating table," he told her. "No! I'm not keeping information from you. We just found out. The doctor is still answering questions, and we are awaiting a positive id. If it is Stroh, we're probably last in line for him. The FBI is all over this place. Yes, of course, I'll keep you updated," he rolled his eyes again at Andy. "Oh, and Chief, if it is Stroh, and this is all over, I'm taking a few emergency leave days," he looked to Andy. "So is Flynn. We're going to get the captain and bring her home."

He hung up, and he looked to Andy grinning at him, "You're coming too?"

Provenza shrugged, "Well, I've got to help with Rusty. There's two of them, and with your health issues and all, you're going to need help getting them from wherever they are to here."

Andy just patted his shoulder, "It will be great, like a road trip," he grinned. "Stroh could be dead, Provenza. This all could be ending, for good."


	59. Chapter 59

The plane touched down, and Andy tried to look out the window, but he had a very large balding head in his way. He rolled his eyes and nudged the arm next to him.

"Would you let me look out the window too?" he complained. He tried to shift in his seat; the flight had been long, and he was anxious to get off the plane.

"They're living here?" Provenza turned to him, his facial expressions a dead giveaway. He couldn't believe they'd traveled all this way, to the bland scenery in front of them.

"Yup," Andy nodded. "Told ya, a lot different than LA."

"Well, there's just fields everywhere, and I think the tallest thing around are those silos we flew over on landing. No rolling hills, no ocean, nothing?" he complained.

"Nothing," Andy nodded, "oh, but corn and soybeans. If you want, I can teach you how to spot the different things growing in the fields. "Oh, there's the Great Lakes. You get that here, but that's about it. 'Land of Bland,' as Rusty says."

Provenza rolled his eyes, "You've been coming all this way this long?"

"Sure have," Andy nodded. "Sharon and I came here to Cleveland a couple times, once for a romantic getaway, and then also after we got married. We stayed overnight here," he said and then started to laugh. The plane continued to taxi, as Andy's laugh intensified.

"You'd better not be thinking of any 'romantic' stories to share with me, Flynn. It's one thing that I have to deal with you being married to her now, living in the same house, but it's another if I have to hear stories of it," Provenza complained.

"No!" Andy exclaimed. "I'm not going into details with you. That's inappropriate! Bad enough Rusty lives with us and knows more than I'm sure he wants. No, what I was going to say, that I couldn't tell you at the time, is that we ran into Sykes and Cooper in Cleveland, or at least I did."

Provenza raised his eyes, "You what? You never told me that!"

"Of course, I didn't!" Andy exclaimed. "We were on our honeymoon! I couldn't exactly come home and tell you I ran into them while taking Sharon up to our hotel room."

"Stop right there!" Provenza held up a hand and closed his eyes. "Do not talk about her and a hotel together. I can't."

"Well, do you want to hear this or not?" he asked.

Provenza eyed him, "If you saw them, how in the world did it not come up at work?"

"Oh, easy," Andy grinned. "Sharon left her phone in the car, and so I went down to get it. We'd had a small wedding, and her friends had a nice lunch for us. I took her to Cleveland, just for the night," he shrugged. "I wasn't there long, and it's what we could do. Anyway, we had plans to go to a really nice, romant-" he looked to Provenza and saw him making a gagging face, so he rolled his eyes, and started again, "we had plans for dinner. So, I went to get her phone, and on the way back upstairs, I ran into them on the elevator. It was December, and they were in the area to visit Coop's aunt, I believe. So, on the spot, I came up with this story I was in town for a job interview because I was in this really nice suit Sharon bought me at her work. I must have been convincing because I never heard another word. I told them I wasn't sure I'd take the job," he shrugged.

"You came up with that on the fly?" Provenza asked.

Andy shrugged, "That's what Sharon said too. Anyway, we were both freaking out, Sharon way more than I was, but we decided it was too risky to leave the room or the hotel that night. So-" he was cut off again.

"DO NOT tell me anything about what you did instead of going out to dinner," he groaned. "I somehow, get it," he flung his arms in the air. The two stopped talking as the flight attendant came on with an announcement. The two listened to the gate instructions, and Provenza turned his attention back to the window. "I can't believe you convinced me to buy a one-way ticket," Provenza grumbled.

Andy rolled his eyes when Provenza turned his way. "Like I had to convince you."

He shrugged, "Patrice told me she expected I would help you, be a friend."

"Exactly, so like you are going to show up, watch us pack up, and then take a flight home while we all drive," Andy chuckled. "Yeah, right. Oh, and the funny part of that story, was that the next morning, I had to basically sneak Sharon out of the hotel, almost like I was ashamed of her or something," he shook his head and laughed. "Thanks for coming. I know you want to see Rusty."

"It just evens things out for the cars," Provenza shrugged, "oh, and not to mention the hotel. Rusty and I can have our own room, while you," he shuddered, "and the captain share."

"I really don't know what your problem is. We're married," Andy shrugged. "I don't poke at you and Patrice all the time."

"You don't work with Patrice. I have to look the captain in the eye each day," Provenza nodded.

"And? She's my wife. So?" Andy asked.

"That's my point," he continued to argue. "I'm going to now have to see her anytime I come over. And," he pointed his finger at Andy as the plane finally stopped and the passengers started to move around to get off the plane. "even coming over will be different. Are you going to live at the same place? She can't redo the place. The food will be different, and depending on what happens with work, I might have to see you grinning at her all day, every single day," he started ticking off points on his fingers while Andy just shook his head and grinned.

"It's all going to be different, and I can't wait. I am about ready to flash my badge to get off this plane first," he started to move for his badge. Provenza stopped him.

"Hold on, Casanova. We'll see her soon enough," he sighed.

As Andy sat and tried to wait patiently to get off the plane, he started tapping his hand on his leg. He grinned at his wedding band, now safely back where it belonged. It had been a crazy 24 hours. The FBI had tried to stall on the notification of the suspect, citing they wanted to notify the next of kin first, which happened to be Stroh's father. The team all suspected it was Stroh, but Fritz finally was the one who was able to get confirmation. It was Stroh who had died on the operating table. A truck driver staying in the room next door to Sharon Beck heard the screaming. Apparently, the place looked vacant, no cars, but that was because the truck driver had his rig parked a block away in a large lot. He'd grabbed his gun, broken through the door, and he'd shot Stroh as he was about to kill Sharon Beck. She was out of it from the alcohol and drugs found in the room, but at the end of the day, she was still alive. She ended up violating some of the terms of her parole, and a deal was currently underway for her to go back to rehab, yet again. Andy knew it would be hard for Rusty to hear all that, but he also knew Rusty would be glad his mother was still alive; Stroh's luck ran out when he ran into the Beck family.

The team had waited at the hospital for hours, and they'd finally left after the FBI told them no information would be released. Provenza had driven Andy home to pack, and he'd told him he was going to do the same, the two assuming the identity would be positive for Stroh. It was still another three hours later, when Andy and Provenza were at Andy's house, trying to watch a game on tv, when the news finally came. Neither could have even told anyone what game had been on t.v.; both were too nervous and anxious to focus. It seemed Provenza was almost as excited as Andy to bring Sharon and Rusty home.

Andy, not Provenza, had been the one to get the initial call from Fritz about Stroh. While he didn't know the extent of it, it seemed Fritz knew Andy had a soft spot for Sharon; he just didn't know the two were married. Andy had told him that during the call.

 _"Andy, it's Fritz. FBI confirmed it's Stroh. I wanted you to know first. I haven't even called Taylor, Davis, or Provenza."_

 _"It's really Stroh?" Andy flashed a huge grin at Provenza, who stood from the couch as Andy spoke._

 _"It is. Confirmed. DNA is a match. We got him. He's dead. Now, I called you because I can now try to put you in touch with the agency, the one that would have relocated the captain so they can notify her. I know you are anxious to find her," Fritz said._

 _"She's in Ohio," Andy said quickly. "I found her over a year ago. She and Rusty are living in a small town in Ohio," he nodded to Provenza. Provenza looked to him, surprised at the information, and he even tried to hide a small smile. "Sharon is working in a department store, management," he explained. "Rusty just finished his associate's degree and has been planning to go to Miami of Ohio next semester." He looked again to Provenza, and he noted that Provenza started to nod, the Miami shirt he'd seen on Andy many times now making sense._

 _"Andy, I'm blown away. Do I even want to know how you know all of that?" Fritz asked._

 _"I found her on my own last year," Andy explained. "I think I've driven just about every inch of Ohio looking for her. She gave me one clue, and I found her from that."_

 _"The captain broke the rules," Fritz chuckled. "I didn't see that coming."_

 _"Oh, you have no idea," Andy sighed, as he shook his head. "She might have altered many rules; we might have altered a few rules," he corrected. "She even came to LA twice."_

 _"Altered?" Fritz chuckled._

 _"All in perspective. So, ahhh, there's something else," he said._

 _"Let me guess-you talk to her all the time?" Fritz asked._

 _"Yeah, that would be true, but I've seen her several times too. Fritz, we got married," he admitted. "Last December,Sharon and I got married."_

 _"You and the captain got married?" Fritz exclaimed. "She's in witness protection!"_

 _"True, but she was allowed to get married. My only regret is she couldn't have the church wedding she wanted. Now, she can come home, to our home. We can finally be happy here in LA."_

 _"This is big news," Fritz sighed._

 _"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't think anything would top Stroh being dead," he chuckled._

 _"No, and this might stun Brenda more than Stroh," Fritz chuckled. "I won't keep you. I need to call everyone else. Go get her. I'm sure the agency will be calling her soon."_

 _"Provenza is right here. I'll put him on the phone. I have another call to make," Andy grinned and handed the phone to Provenza. "He wants to give you the details. I need to call my wife," he grinned even more as he said that._

Now, Andy was almost ready to jump over the seats. People were slow, and he was about at the end of his patience. "How is it possible to move so slowly on a plane!" he exclaimed. The couple in front of him turned around, and he gave them a guilty smile.

"Sorry," Provenza nodded. "This idiot just wants to see his wife. It's a long story."

"I'm ready to flip my badge and get off this plane," Andy ran his hand over his face and sighed. He looked up at the couple and realized he was taking his frustration out on them. "I'm sorry; it's not you."

The couple just nodded, and Andy gave a silent shrug of apology. "I can't wait to see them."

"Them," Provenza nodded. "So, things are good with you and Rusty? We haven't talked about that much. You up and marry is mom, at least the mom who has given him every bit of stability possible and dropped her life to keep him safe. You marry her, and things with Rusty are okay?"

"More than okay," Andy nodded. "We're good. In a way, this helped us. He had no one other than Sharon. He's made friends at school, but you should have seen the kid the first time I arrived. He was so excited. We played chess for hours. He even hugged me."

Provenza raised an eye, and Andy just nodded. "It's true. I'm in a good place with Rusty. I think our relationship is solid. I love him just as I'd love my own kids. I wanted to be here when he graduated, and I'm glad I was. We had a nice, small party for him at the house," Andy chuckled. He shook his head, "So many things I haven't been able to tell you."

The line was finally moving, allowing Andy and Provenza the chance to finally stand and collect their carry-on bags. Each had only brought a carry on bag, as they knew Sharon and Rusty would have plenty to bring back to LA. They started moving in the line, up the aisle, until they were finally off the plane.

"Welcome to Cleveland," Andy grinned when they were finally inside the airport.

"I am having trouble picturing Rusty living here," Provenza chuckled as he looked around at the views of the outside.

"Oh, it's been an adjustment. He now cuts the grass, does other yardwork, oh, and he can drive and function in snow," Andy smiled. "He hates the cold weather, but it's been good for him."

Provenza hid his smile, "Rusty in snow," he shook his head. "That's got to be a sight."

"Oh, it was. Sharon bought him an SUV for the snow, and he's had the job of shoveling or snow blowing the drive. Sharon broke her arm last year when she fell on the ice."

"Broke her arm?" Provenza turned to him. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine now," he waved. "Funny story, she had the broken arm when we got married."

"That, again, I didn't need to know. Only you, Flynn, would marry a woman when she's probably on drugs for the pain. No wonder she agreed to marry your sorry self."

Andy tried to ignore him as he typed out a quick text. After he'd gotten off the phone with Fritz, back in LA, Andy had pulled out his burner phone to call Sharon. He stepped away from Provenza and made the call. He knew Sharon and Rusty were at orientation at school, and he hated to interrupt it, but something told him Sharon wouldn't mind.

 _"Andy," Sharon said sweetly when she answered. "You read my mind. I was just sitting here in the student union having a cup of tea while Rusty is talking to all the campus clubs and organizations. They all have tables and displays outside. How are you?"_

 _"He'd dead, Sharon! Stroh is gone," Andy exclaimed. He started to break down, the emotions of the day finally hitting him. He ran his hand through his hair as he sat down at his table._

 _"What?" Sharon exclaimed. "He's gone?"_

 _"He's gone, Sharon. It's over. It's finally over," he said, with tears of joy in his eyes. "I wanted to confirm it before I called you. We've been dealing with it for hours here. He's dead. Doc said he died on the operating table," Andy explained._

 _"How?" she said, her voice wavering. Andy could tell she was probably trying to hold back tears as well._

 _"They think he broke in here at my place," Andy said as he looked around. The house had been ransacked too, something he still hadn't dealt with yet, not in its entirety, but he'd checked to make sure valuables weren't gone. Anything of value was still in place, which was further proof to Andy it had been Stroh. Pictures of Sharon and Andy, the ones Andy still had out, had been knocked over, but thankfully, the psycho hadn't gotten out of LA to find Sharon and Rusty. "He then tracked down Sharon Beck."_

 _"Sharon Beck? I thought she was still in rehab," Sharon sighed._

 _"None of us knew where she was, but he found her in some dive apartment. He was going to kill her, probably trying to get information from her, but the guy staying next door broke the door down and shot him. He was a truck driver, a heroic truck driver. Guy probably thought it was some domestic thing, but he just killed the worst psycho we've seen," Andy explained._

 _"Is she, is she-" Sharon stopped, not sure of how to ask._

 _"She's okay, at least she's alive. She's got plenty to answer to with the police, unfortunately, but he didn't kill her. Rusty can see her when he gets back to LA," he explained._

 _"Andy, he's really gone? It's over," she exclaimed. Andy could tell she was crying._

 _"It's over, Sweetheart. You and Rusty are coming home. I'm going to catch a flight first thing in the morning. I'm coming to bring you home," he smiled into the phone._

 _She tried to laugh, but more of a sob came out, and she nodded, not that he could see her, "Okay. I can't believe this."_

 _"Believe it. You, me, the kid, all happening," he nodded. "The agency will be in touch. Fritz said to expect them to call. Oh, and if it's okay with the kid, he might need to bunk on the couch while we pack up the house."_

 _Sharon started to laugh, "Tell your partner we can't wait to see him too."_

"Flynn, there's a bathroom. I need to go," Provenza pulled Andy from his thoughts as the two maneuvered through the airport. Andy sighed, but he couldn't argue. The guy had a good idea, and the two had been on the plane a long time. Andy moved quickly in the bathroom and then almost left Provenza there; the guy was slow, and Andy was in a hurry. It was almost too much knowing that Sharon and Rusty were on the other side of security waiting for them. He'd looked at flights, and he'd booked the first one, the 5:15 flight. He had spoken to Sharon two more times that evening, and for the first time, she was elated she could meet his flight. As Andy waited, he chuckled as he thought back to his revelation with Provenza.

 _Provenza hung up with Fritz, and Andy was still on the phone with Sharon. Provenza got something to drink, and then he sat down at the table across from Andy. He could tell the conversation was almost over. When Andy hung up, he couldn't stop grinning._

 _"Well?" Provenza asked._

 _"She's not sure she wants to come home," he smirked. "She kinda likes it there."_

 _Provenza rolled his eyes, "If that had actually been the case, you would be in a yelling match with her right now. Believe me, I've seen you two go rounds. Since you are sitting there like a grinning idiot, I take it she's relieved to hear the news."_

 _"She can't wait to get home. I need to book flights for us. We can leave in the morning," he nodded._

 _"So, are you going to tell me our destination? You mentioned Ohio with Fritz?" he grimaced._

 _"Yup," Andy nodded. "Small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio, about as different as it is from here as can be. Pack your bags; we'll show you all the different kinds of combines and tractors," he patted Provenza as he stood and started to pace. "We're going to Ohio."_

"Let's go, Flynn," Provenza told him as he walked out of the bathroom, still wiping his hands with a paper towel. He threw it away, and he nodded toward the exit signs. "Let's see if she actually came to get you. Realization might be sinking in that marrying you now means she has to live with you," he grimaced.

Andy moved quickly through the airport with his rolling carry on bag. Provenza, surprisingly, kept up with him, and soon, the two were at the exit to the secure area. Andy scanned the faces beyond the security exit, and he instantly broke into a smile. Provenza followed his gaze, and even he smiled when he spotted Rusty. Andy took off running, and Sharon did the same. He met her shortly outside of the security area in a huge embrace. Sharon put her hands on his face and stepped on her tip toes to kiss him. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her back. Provenza, who did not run, finally caught up to the pair, as did Rusty from the other direction.

"Lieutenant," Rusty grinned. Provenza opened his one arm, and Rusty gave him an awkward sort of side hug. "It's really, really great to see you," he flashed a huge grin at him.

"You too, Rusty," he gave a warm smile. "You too, but this," he gestured to Sharon and Andy who had pulled back just enough to look at each other. "That's not something I want to see."

Rusty chuckled and shrugged, "Yeah, you kind of get used to it, or so I've been told I need to just get used to it. Hey, Andy," he smiled as he finally addressed Andy.

"Hey, Kid," Andy nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Man, am I happy to be here, to see you both, and I'm the happiest guy alive that I get to take you back home."

"Oh, I can't believe all this," Sharon squealed. "It's finally over. I'm so glad Sharon Beck will be okay," she said as she gave Rusty a small smile. She reached to squeeze his hand too. In one of her conversations with Andy last night, she'd told him that Rusty was extremely worried about his mom. Chief Taylor, himself, had arranged for Sharon Beck to speak to Rusty, all with the help of Fritz too. The two had spoken on the phone, and while Rusty knew she was in trouble with the law, he was very relieved his mother had not fallen victim to Stroh.

"It's finally over," Andy sighed. "Now, we just need to get you two packed."

"First things first," Provenza nodded. "I heard the Midwest, Ohio, can cook a good steak. I'd love a good steak. Is there somewhere we can eat? I'm starving, and I didn't travel all this way just for a vacation with Flynn," he nodded.

The others burst out laughing, and Rusty grabbed for Provezna's bag, "I really missed you, Lieutenant. We're going to have a blast driving across the country together."

Provenza looked at Sharon and Andy, almost horrified. "Captain, does he still drive like I remember?"


	60. Chapter 60

It was almost dark when the group finally pulled into the driveway of the house. Provenza, who had never been to Ohio, was very interested in the scenery. He asked a lot of questions as they ate and drove. Sharon lived up to her promise to take Provenza to a local steakhouse. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal and said that Ohio might not be as bad as he'd thought.

"Here we are," Sharon said as she pulled into the driveway and parked behind Rusty's SUV. Provenza just nodded as he took in the house.

"Pretty plain, but well kept," he nodded.

"It's all beige," Rusty frowned, "even Sharon's car. She threatened to buy me a beige SUV, but thankfully, it's not."

"Rusty, the yard looks good," Andy said from the front seat as he unbuckled. He had offered to drive, but Sharon had told him to rest; Andy and Provenza had been traveling most of the day, and with the time change, they were thrown off schedule. The group all got out of the car, and Rusty moved to the trunk to get Andy and Provenza's bags.

"Lieutenant Provenza, you can use my room," Rusty explained. "It's just a two-bedroom house. It's clean; Sharon made me clean everything," he grinned. "It's just kinda crazy because there are boxes everywhere."

"Boxes I can handle," he nodded to Rusty. "Next door to those two," he nudged Rusty as he looked to Andy, who had put his arm around Sharon and was telling her something quietly that was apparently funny, "I'm not sure."

Rusty frowned as he gave Provenza an odd look, "It's down the hall. It's not too bad. Be hopeful they won't call you into their room to watch a movie with them."

"They did that?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, our quality 'family' time as Sharon calls it," he shrugged. "Not all the time, but one evening they were watching some movie, and they asked if I had seen it. Somehow, we all ended up in there. Sharon was like floating on a cloud she was so happy."

"You coming, Provenza?" Andy asked as he held the door to the house for him. Provenza nodded, and he followed Rusty inside. Provenza looked around, and he gave a silent nod. It was halfway packed, but he could see how the captain had made a home here. It wasn't her style; it was nothing like the condo, but he could see touches of Sharon here and there. It was spotless, to start, and even the pictures she had out were her taste.

"Nice place," he nodded, and Andy turned around surprised.

"You're complimenting something?" he grinned.

Provenza rolled his eyes, "Just show me where I'm sleeping. Long flight, big steak," he nodded and continued, "I'll be about ready to crash out soon."

"I'll show you, Lieutenant," Rusty grinned. "I'll get my stuff too. I'm going to sleep here on the couch."

"Sorry for the mess," Sharon said as she put her purse down and started to the kitchen. "I'm going to put on some tea. Andy?" She asked him, and he nodded in affirmation that he, too, wanted some tea. "Lieutenant, would you like some coffee?"

"Not this late," he shook his head, "and, it's not messy. You're moving home. That's a good thing."

Andy looked around at the house, "Sharon, you got a lot packed in a short amount of time."

She grinned and shrugged from the sink, "Well, we finished at orientation, and we raced home, all within the legal speed limit, of course," she winked at Andy. "We stopped on the way to pick up boxes, and I think I can get more at work. I have to meet with my boss in the morning to explain everything, and then we can continue to pack up the house. The agency said to leave the house as we found it, and we will. I have to tag anything we purchased and want brought back to LA. They are going to pick up all of that next Wednesday, and we do not need to be here for that. I expect we'll be back in LA by then, or almost," she smiled. "We can take our luggage and any other personal items we can fit into the cars. As far as the car here I've been using, they said it was fine to drive to LA, and then I'll turn it in there. They will reimburse for gas and mileage."

"You have been busy," Andy grinned. "Impressive."

Sharon put the water on the stove to boil, and she walked back toward Andy. Provenza had dropped his things in Rusty's room and followed him back to the living room. "I have good motivation to wrap up things here. Now, before we leave, Rusty and I do have a few things to do, to tie up loose ends."

Rusty jumped in, "Right, like for one, baseball," he nodded. Provenza looked at Rusty, and then with a confused expression, he looked to Sharon.

"Baseball?" he asked. He gave Sharon and odd look when he saw her grinning.

"Yeah, well, you and Andy have tried to tell me the Dodgers are the best team ever. I think you need to check out the Cleveland Indians while you are here, you know, to just make sure," he flashed a smirk. "Sharon bought tickets to the Indians game two days from now."

"It's a sort of thank you for everything," Sharon smiled. "You helped with this in so many ways, and I really want to thank you. It's been very difficult, but we have all gotten through it."

"Cleveland Indians, huh?" Provenza nodded as he glanced at Rusty. He looked to Andy, "Flynn, we've got work to do to get your kid here back on track. We can't have him liking the Indians."

Andy grinned and shrugged, "Hey, I'll take any baseball game. Maybe we take some souvenirs to the team? You know they haven't heard the whole story and are going to have a lot of questions."

"Oh, right," Sharon nodded. "I'm anxious to see everyone, and that brings me to my other point. I really want to say goodbye to the friends we have made here. They don't know any of this," she smiled at Andy. "I think they believe Andy has a second family hidden away, and they probably also believe we have a horrible marriage. I'd like to tell them everything."

"Yeah, it didn't help when Andy said the wrong name at the wedding," Rusty laughed. He caught Andy's gaze, and shrugged. "What? You did."

"Wrong name? How am I just hearing about this!" Provenza exclaimed. "Flynn, I'm the one with all the marriages! You've been in love with her for years. How on Earth did you say the wrong name at the wedding?"

Rusty shook his head and laughed, "It's a funny story, Lieutenant."

"All in a matter of perspective," Andy grinned. "I didn't say the wrong name." Sharon put her arm around him, and she leaned into his side.

"He called me Sharon," she grinned. "So, he did call me by my name, just not my name here."

Provenza raised his eyebrows, "What's your name here? I didn't even think about that."

"I'm Chris," Rusty pointed to himself. "Name is just weird to me. It's not me."

"Well, duh," Provenza rolled his eyes. "Captain?"

Sharon eyed Andy with a twinkle in her eye. Andy shook his head in a quiet laugh, and he turned to Provenza. "So, funny story, and Sharon didn't have anything to do with her name. The agency named her Sandra."

Provenza's face turned red as he realized, almost like he was embarrassed, but he wasn't. "Wait, your new wife was given the same name as your ex-wife?"

"Can't make this stuff up," Andy shrugged.

"When they told me that I was going to go by Sandra, I asked them to change it, but they had already started our new identities. So, while Andy slipped and called me Sharon during the wedding, I couldn't get too upset. He loves me, Sharon," she said happily. "I'm almost grateful he didn't profess his love to Sandra," she enunciated as she looked up at him. He leaned over and kissed her head.

"Never, just eyes for you," he winked.

"See, Lieutenant, weird old parents," Rusty nodded. The two had discussed Sharon and Andy at dinner as they barely paid any attention to Rusty and Provenza. It actually worked out and gave each person a chance to catch up with another.

"I see what you mean," he nodded.

"Anyway, back to what I was saying, I'd like to invite our friends and even our priest over for a cookout. We can use up some of the food in the kitchen. I was hoping the day after the game. That gives us a few days to pack, and then we can tell all of them the whole story. They have been so good to me, and if I'm sad about anything, it's about leaving them. Lieutenant, the priest is even worried about my marriage to Andy," she patted Andy's stomach as she mentioned his name.

"So, what about your kids?" he asked the couple.

"Oh, well, Sharon and I want to tell them in person," Andy grinned.

"Yes, when I got the call from Andy, I wanted to call Emily and Ricky right away," Sharon explained.

"So, I sent them both a quick text and told them to accept a call from a strange number," Andy added.

"They were thrilled to hear from me. We wanted to talk for hours, but I told them that you and Andy were coming here to get us, and that we could all discuss everything when we got back to LA."

"So, they're flying in after we get back, which is why Sharon wants to be back in LA by the middle of next week," Rusty nodded.

"If we are back by Wednesday or Thursday, it gives us a day to get settled before they arrive for the weekend," she shrugged. "I didn't want to tell them over the phone Andy has been keeping all this from them all this time. It's a discussion to have in person, and we've waited this long," she shrugged.

"A day," Andy shook his head. "Sweetheart, you can take more than a day to settle in at home. You've been gone almost a year and a half."

"And, I need to be back at work on Monday after we get back. I need to figure out my job," she nodded. "I think everyone from the division would agree we would all like to see me back in Major Crimes, but even I know that cannot be promised. The department held my job, but that doesn't mean it has to be in the same division again."

"Well, you still have a job," Provenza told her. "Taylor told me as much as that, and we all know he's terrified to tick you off. While we are gone, he's going to sit down with Davis and Fritz to figure out everything. We all dislike Davis, even Taylor if he'd ever admit it. I hope he is smart enough to put you back where you belong."

She nodded, "Exactly, so I don't have much time, and we have so much to do before we go home."

"Where's home?" Rusty asked. "Sharon, we haven't talked about that yet, where home is going to be. You've acquired a Flynn," he nodded to Andy with a roll of the eyes. "Mom, if we're keeping him, where are you putting him?" Rusty asked as he smirked at Andy.


	61. Chapter 61

"So much for not liking Cleveland baseball," Andy rolled his eyes at Provenza when he walked into the kitchen. It was still early, but the household was awake. The four had gotten in late from the baseball game, but they had a lot to do today as they continued to pack the house. Andy was at the counter waiting for the coffee to finish brewing; while a lot of things had already been packed, Sharon's high-end coffee maker and similar tea pot were still out. They would be packed in the car, but until they left the day after tomorrow, the small appliances would stay. Andy looked Provenza up and down, the guy's new purchases front and center.

"What?" Provenza gestured to his outfit. He was in his solid navy pajama bottoms and his new Cleveland baseball shirt. Andy shook his head and grinned.

"You enjoyed the game," he nodded. "You liked watching Cleveland," he continued to chuckle. The coffee pot was done brewing, and Andy poured a cup. He looked to Provenza and gestured with the cup. Provenza nodded and accepted it, while Andy poured a second cup. He, too, was in morning loungewear, simple athletic shorts and a Miami t-shirt.

"Why wouldn't I? It's baseball. I like all things baseball, even if it's a game not involving the Dodgers," he pointed out. "Those had better be shorts," he nodded to Andy's attire.

"What else would they be?" Andy questioned him, now slightly irritated.

"Undergarments," he started.

"Really? Undergarments? Are we trying to sound sophisticated? They're shorts," he picked at them. "I can strip down to my boxers if you'd like. It doesn't bother Sharon, and even the kid is used to it by now. It's May; I'm not wearing flannel pants like you in May."

"Oh, absolutely not, just keep those shorts on," he waved his hand at him.

"I hadn't planned anything other than that until you insulted my attire. What's wrong with it? It's summer, and I did cover up for your benefit," Andy explained. "You're the one covered in Cleveland attire, and where's that blanket you just happened to buy at the game?" Andy rolled his eyes.

"In my defense, it's cooler near the lake, and I got a chill at the game," Provenza nodded. "Besides, it's really for Patrice, a souvenir," he explained.

"Souvenir," Andy grumbled. "You enjoyed the game. It's okay to admit it," Andy grinned.

"Where's your wife? You're annoying me enough this morning, and it's not even 8:00. At least if she's around you, you can stop harassing me about what I'm wearing. I heard the hall shower, so I assume Rusty is there?" Provenza questioned.

"Rusty is in the shower, and Sharon is getting dressed. You know her friends are coming for dinner tonight, right?" he asked.

"Dinner, here, right," Provenza nodded. "Are these people going to annoy me?"

"No," Andy said as he sipped on his coffee. "They are good people, all of them. One thing here, Sharon made some good friends at church and at work."

The work discussion had happened, and it had gone well. Sharon wasn't particularly close to her boss, but she was close to her co-workers. Sharon had gone to work and explained everything to her boss. It helped the agency participated in a conference call during her meeting. She broke the news to the others in her department, and they had been shocked and quite impressed to learn she was a police captain in Los Angeles. Before leaving the job, Sharon had told them all they were always welcome to visit L.A., and she would treat them like family. She'd left her contact information with them with a promise to visit at some point in the future.

Today, they were hoping to finish most of the packing, and then, they were going to host their friends for dinner. Sharon had only told them that Andy was in town, and that had been enough for their friends to agree. They had planned for a late afternoon barbecue with it being Saturday afternoon. Then, for Sunday, Sharon wanted one last time at Mass, and then the group had plans to pack the cars and clean up the house. They were going to pull out very early on Monday morning to start their drive across the country.

The plan was to take the I-40 route west since they lived south of Cleveland. They had a couple different options, but at the end of the day, it was still almost a 2400-mile drive home. Sharon had done the calculations and planned to drive around 800 miles each day, putting them in for some very long days, but with two cars and four drivers, it was plausible. It would be a tiresome few days, but in the end, Andy couldn't talk her out of it. She was anxious to get home after she and Rusty had been hidden away for a year and a half.

"Good morning," Sharon called out to them as she walked into the kitchen. She squeezed Provenza's arm, which, in turn, he grunted, but let out a small smile at her. Sharon nodded to him, and then she walked over and leaned up to kiss Andy.

"Morning, Gorgeous," he grinned. "I put your water on there, and it's ready for whatever tea you'd like. I would have made you a cup, but I wasn't sure what type you wanted this morning."

"Thank you," she nodded and started to make her tea. "Lieutenant," she turned to Provenza, "did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock, Captain," he nodded. "Flynn and I were just discussing the plans for today."

"And, Provenza's love for the Cleveland Indians," he grinned. Sharon turned, giving Andy an odd look and shake of the head. She then looked to Provenza, dressed in his Cleveland shirt, and she smiled.

"I really enjoyed the game. I'm so glad we could all go. It's the sort of closure Rusty and I needed," she explained. Andy nodded as he moved to sit at the table. Provenza, with his coffee in hand, did the same.

"I haven't wanted to ask, but Flynn's shirt there," he gestured to the Miami shirt, "what is Rusty going to do about school now? It's great that he got his associate's degree while here, but he was set on starting school here. You're not going to be here, so what is he going to do?"

Sharon carried her mug over and sat at the table next to Andy and across from Provenza. Andy gave her a small smile; Provenza could see the two had already discussed this, not that he was surprised. One thing he could see about the two was they were in love and communicated well. He'd never admit that, but it didn't take a detective to see that in front of him.

Sharon looked to her mug and then started to speak, "We are leaving that decision up to Rusty. He's an adult, and only he can decide what he would like to do with his life. Plenty of children move away for college, and while Rusty isn't your typical kid, and our situation has been anything but, it is still his decision. Andy and I will support what he decides. He loves the school and told me he felt comfortable there. Now, that doesn't mean he couldn't find something just like that in California, or at least closer to home. Kids go to college all over the country from all parts of the world. He wouldn't be the first to fly home, and at the same time, if he tells us he wants to find a different school and start all of this over again, we will do that."

"So, you'd be okay sending him off there if he decides to go?" Provenza nodded.

Sharon gave him a small smile, "Lieutenant, I want him to be safe and happy. The safety issue has eased. He deserves whatever happiness he pursues. We would miss him, but it's his choice. I'm ready to send the tuition check wherever he decides."

"Flynn, just give us fair warning at work if she has to pack him off to college," he shook his head. "Mama Raydor will be a mess."

Sharon let out a muffled laugh, and Andy put his arm around her, "We'll get through it together."

"It isn't my first rodeo, Lieutenant," she smiled.

"True," Provenza nodded, "but, it is your last with your youngest child, a child who came into your life in an odd way. He's a child you've had to really put extra time and effort into just to get him to where he is today. You gave up everything to keep him safe. I know we all love our children the same, or so we're supposed to do that," Provenza rolled his eyes, "but there has been a lot with Rusty."

"Yes, you're right about that," Sharon nodded. She looked to Andy, who still had his arm on the back of her chair, and she reached over and squeezed his hand. "This time, though, is also different. I have someone right beside me who will be there for me too, and I didn't have that before."

Provenza nodded, and the three all took the pause in conversation to sip on their drinks.

"Morning!" Rusty greeted them cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen and over to the cabinet. He pulled down a box of cereal and proceeded to make his breakfast.

"Morning, Rusty," Andy was the first to greet him. Rusty walked over and plopped down by Provenza and looked to the group, "So, we're going to shake up this town today with our news?" he grinned.

The day passed quickly, and by 4:00, most of the house was packed. They had two piles, a car pile and a pile for the movers. The guys were still finishing the sorting, and Sharon had moved into the kitchen to prepare things for their evening. The group spent the last hour before the guests arrived showering and cleaning up around the house. Promptly, at 5:00, a car pulled up outside.

"Hmm, I see why the captain likes these people," Provenza grumbled as he tried to glance out the window. "Prompt like she is."

"They're nice people, Provenza," Andy sighed. "Be kind."

"Fine, I'll find Rusty," he nodded and started to the back door.

Sharon opened the door before Becky and Mike were even up the sidewalk. "Oh, it's great to see you," she grinned at them. Andy walked up behind her.

"What a great idea, to have a get-together," Becky said as she hugged Sharon. Mike moved around the women to shake Andy's hand.

"Andy, it's good to see you," he said.

"Likewise, Mike," Andy nodded.

"Come in," Sharon gestured. "We have plenty to tell you, and we have someone we'd like you to meet."

"Oh?" Becky looked to her husband. "One of Andy's children came?"

"Not quite," Andy chuckled as he ushered everyone into the house. Sharon gave the couple a sheepish look as they surveyed the room and obviously noted the moving boxes.

"Okay, so there is plenty to discuss, but before that," she turned to where Provenza and Rusty were coming in the back door and gestured to them.

"Oh, Chris, we didn't know you still had a grandfather living! You never mentioned it!" Becky smiled warmly at Provenza.

"What?" Rusty asked, as he turned, looking confused. "Oh," he grinned. "Ahh, not exactly."

Sharon touched Becky's arm, "This is a very dear friend of ours, Andy's best friend," she smiled up at Andy and then to Provenza. "This is Louie Provenza, and he flew here from Los Angeles with Andy."

"Hello!" they all turned to the door where Kathy and Eric were entering. Sharon wasn't surprised by that. In past get-togethers, they often walked into each other's homes, especially if they could tell others had already arrived.

"Oh, my!" Kathy exclaimed as she looked around. "Sandra, what is going on?"

Provenza snapped his head up when he heard that name, and he just shook his head. Andy gave him a look to let Sharon explain, and Sharon looked to her friends with a small smile.

"Why don't we sit down," she gestured to the couch. "We have a lot to tell you," she offered a warm smile. The two couples moved to the furniture and sat on the couch and in the arm chair. Andy grabbed some of the kitchen table chairs so there would be enough seats for everyone. Once they were all seated, Sharon, Andy, Provenza, and Rusty in the kitchen chairs in an almost circle around the room, Sharon cleared her throat to continue.

"I had just started introductions," she explained. "This," she gestured to Provenza, "is Andy's best friend, our dear friend, Louie Provenza, who flew here with Andy from Los Angeles a few days ago now."

"Not the grandparent," Provenza interjected. "I'm only a few years older than both Flynn and the captain," he nodded.

The two couples gave an odd glance to each other, as they tried to let Sharon continue to explain.

"Ahh, yes," she nodded. "Captain. That's all part of this. Sandra is not my name, and Chris is not his," she gestured to Rusty. My real name is Captain Sharon Raydor of the Major Crimes Division of the Los Angeles Police. This is my son, Rusty," she gestured to him, and yes, I am married to Andy," she smiled at him. "Rusty and I were placed in witness protection a year and a half ago when a serial killer was trying to kill Rusty. He witnessed a murder, and he was set to testify in court. It's a very long story, but we were moved here that January when you met us."

"What?" Mike asked. The women both looked panicked, and Sharon held up her hand to let her continue. Andy reached over and took her other hand in his, and he nodded at her.

"I know this sounds absolutely insane, and believe me, it has been quite the mess. Rusty and I were yanked out of our lives in LA and brought here. You know it was a big adjustment; you just didn't know the extent," she nodded. "I have two other grown children who were not part of this at all. Until a few days ago, I hadn't spoken to them since before Rusty and I were taken from LA. Andy here," she smiled at him, "found us."

"Wait, this doesn't make sense," Eric asked. "So, you were already married? That was a show?"

"No, not at all," Andy joined in the conversation. "What Sharon has told you is true," he started.

"Sharon! Oh, my goodness! Now, it clicks! You called her Sharon when you got married. That has always stuck with me," Kathy exclaimed.

"Ahh, yeah, I did," he chuckled. He glanced to Provenza when he heard him grumble something that sounded like, 'Idiot,' and then he turned his attention back to the group. "Sharon and I weren't married when she and Rusty were taken away."

"Rusty," Becky looked to him. "You really aren't Chris?"

"No, sorry," he shrugged. "That name is just not me."

Sharon tried to put the conversation back on track, "Andy," she smiled at him as she said it, "and Lieutenant Provenza work for me. They are my two top lieutenants back in LA," she explained. "Andy and I were just starting a relationship when all of this developed," she nodded, hoping that simple explanation was enough.

"Oh, no," Provenza waved his hand. "Sorry, I know you don't know me," he looked to the group, "but these two had been flirting around for a couple years. They might have not had an official declaration, but it's more than she's making it out to be. This guy," he hooked his hand at Andy, "was lost without her. She apparently wasn't much better," he said as he glanced at her.

"Guilty," Sharon chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "I was quite miserable without Andy around, yes, and then, he found us."

"Isn't the point of witness protection to stay hidden?" Eric asked.

"For most," Andy grinned. "As she said, top detective," he gestured to himself and grinned.

"One of her two top detectives," Provenza corrected him and crossed his arms as he continued to listen.

Sharon bit her lip and looked to the men. She turned her attention back to her friends, "You can see what I deal with at work, or what I used to deal with daily. The two of them are both lieutenants for the LAPD, and both work with me in Major Crimes. We investigate high profile murders for the most part, and sometimes, we are given other cases of high importance or priority, such as critical missing." She could tell that description didn't help, so she clarified, "Critical missing, that is, or would mean the disappearance of a child."

"So, you're telling me that the three of you are high ranking police detectives from Los Angeles?" Mike asked. "You were placed here to hide out from a serial killer?"

"Yes," she nodded. "We are telling you this now, and both Andy and Provenza are here, because it's finally over. The suspect was killed, and after all this time, Rusty and I can go home."

"So, you all work together," Becky started to recap the situation and continued, "and Sandra, I mean Sharon," she sighed at that, "moved or really, you were placed here, with your son," she nodded to Rusty, "and the rest, what we've seen is just this facade?"

"No, not at all!" Sharon exclaimed. "I wanted nothing more than to tell you. My other two children didn't know where I was. Andy did find us; that is true. He's a detective, and he did what he's trained to do. All his short visits," she pointed out, "he was taking off time from work to see us. We did fall in love," she looked to him and squeezed his arm. "That part," she let out a small chuckle, "was developing before we were even apart, but after Andy found us, neither he nor I could stand it. We wanted to be married, so that much is very real. We haven't even told the other kids yet because we want to wait until we get home."

Andy nodded, "The bit about my having four kids," he shrugged. "Sharon and I thought that was the easiest way to explain it. Neither of us wanted to discount any of our kids. I have two of my own, and the other two I was claiming-" he trailed off.

"Were hers," Becky smiled. She finally got it. "You claimed all the kids."

"Exactly," Andy smiled. "What we told you about the kids is true, and I've been in touch with all of them through this. I've visited all of them, and I have hated lying to each and every single one of them about this. They don't know I found Sharon, and they don't know what has developed since. My two kids live in California, one in LA, and one is in San Diego."

"My kids," Sharon smiled, "Emily is a professional ballerina in New York City," she beamed. "I'm so proud of her, and I can't wait to see her dance It's been too long."

"I haven't missed that," Rusty pointed out as he jumped in the conversation. The group chuckled.

"Ricky, my middle one, is a computer specialist outside of San Francisco. Rusty," she nodded to him, "showed up in our department when he was 15, all at the start of this case. I took him in, and just before all of this developed, I legally adopted him."

"We've all known Rusty since that first day," Provenza nodded. "We're all very fond of him and glad he's coming home, the captain too," he nodded in Sharon's direction.

"This is all almost surreal," Kathy nodded. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"I know," Sharon gave her a sympathetic smile. "It's a lot. Andy and Provenza are here to help us pack up the place, and then we're loading the cars after church tomorrow to pull out very early Monday morning. The two of them have taken time off work, and my job was held during all this, but we are all needed back in LA to get back to work."

"We need the captain back in her office, not the idiot who currently occupies it," Provenza grumbled. Sharon shook her head and laughed quietly.

"So, you just don't strike me as a police officer," Becky shook her head. "You're really a captain."

"Outranks both of us," Andy gestured to Provenza. "And, I must say, not just because she's my wife, but she's the best shot of any of us."

Sharon's face turned red, and she shook her head. Provenza surprised her.

"Don't act bashful, Captain. You know it's true; we all know it," he looked to the couples. "The captain has the best shot in the building. She used to run Internal Affairs, so she also has a love of the rules and regulations. She's the best of the LAPD. Since taking over our division, she closed more cases than we had before. Her mind works like you wouldn't believe. I'll deny it if it's ever repeated, but she's our best."

Andy and Sharon both turned to him, very surprised. Sharon nodded to him, "Thank you, Lieutenant. That means a lot."

"So, that," Eric pointed, "you all go around calling each other by your ranks?"

"Well, no," Andy shrugged. "I call him Provenza, and I call her Sharon."

"That was our first clue," Provenza nodded to the group. "Long time ago, work, and he starts calling her Sharon. If that wasn't clue enough, she starts calling him Andy. In her defense, she does call most of the team now by their first name, but he was the first."

"Those two," Rusty jumped in and pointed at Sharon and Andy, "might be good detectives at work, great detectives," he clarified and continued, "but they were lousy at their own relationship," he rolled his eyes.

The group chuckled while Andy and Sharon smiled at each other and shrugged. "You two," Becky pointed between them, "have really been married, but you've had to live apart through all this? That's what was really going on?"

"Guilty," Sharon smiled. "There was no secret family; Andy wasn't cheating on me. The secret was the mess Rusty and I were stuck in here. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you sooner, but your concern for our marriage, it was touching. The trips back to LA," she shrugged as she grinned before she continued, "the first, Andy had an injury at work."

"And, that's when I was let in on this little secret," Provenza gestured to Sharon and Andy. "At that time, they weren't married yet, but this idiot told me he was in contact with the captain. We got her out there to sit by his bedside for a few hours, and then we got her out of there."

Sharon nodded at that, "The second time, I missed him, so I surprised him," she grinned.

"That's when I found out they'd gotten married, so you are not the only ones who were left in the dark on some of this," Provenza nodded to the couples.

The group all chuckled quietly, and then the room grew quiet. Finally, Kathy spoke. "Rusty," she smiled at him, "Sharon adopted you?" she asked.

"Yup," he nodded. "She's pretty great, even if I had to get stuck with all of this," he smirked.

"And, Andy?" she asked, looking to Rusty.

Rusty looked to Andy and then back to Kathy, "He's Andy. I finally stopped calling him Lieutenant all the time," he grinned, as did Andy and Sharon. "I still call her Sharon most of the time" he nodded in her direction, "but I guess we all know what we are to each other. I'm adjusting to that name change and the idea we are moving to a new house in LA, but I never had a dad in my life. "

The four all raised their eyebrows at Rusty's cryptic statement, and Sharon explained, "I own a condo in LA. It's small, smaller than this home," she gestured to the house. "Andy has a three-bedroom home, and we'll be moving there. My condo is currently rented, and we'll deal with that later."

"I'm speechless," Becky said, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Tell you what," Sharon smiled at them. "Let's eat, and we can continue this. We can also talk about the four of you visiting all of us in LA sometime soon."

"One thing you need to know about Sharon," Andy said quietly as he leaned in to address the two couples. He smiled and reached for her hand as he continued, "She is loyal, very loyal. She'll never forget you, nor will I. Once you're in Sharon's inner circle, you're family, and she doesn't forget or give up on family. She also doesn't negotiate-just ask any suspects she's interrogated. She's fierce, so while we eat, let's discuss when, not if, you'll come visit LA," he grinned.


	62. Chapter 62

She wiped her eye as he walked up and looped his arm around her waist. He leaned over and kissed her head and joined her in looking back at the house.

"It's silly I'm crying over a house I don't even really like in a small town I didn't want to live in, when I'm going back to a life I didn't want to leave," Sharon admitted, as she took the tissue Andy offered her from his pocket. "Why are you carrying around tissues?"

He shrugged, "I know my wife, and I had a small," he gestured with his free hand, "small, thought that you might be a little teary-eyed leaving this morning."

The sun was just coming up; it was early, and the cars were packed. The four were ready to pull out, LA bound, just as soon as Rusty and Provenza, mainly Rusty, finished breakfast. Sharon hadn't slept well, meaning Andy hadn't either, so the two had been up for almost two hours already. They had put the last of the things in the cars, and as soon as breakfast was over, the four would be on their way.

Church had gone well, and Sharon was pretty sure she was the first person to ever tell her priest a story like she had. Provenza hadn't gone with them, which was fine. He wasn't Catholic, but Sharon, Andy, and Rusty had gone to Mass. After, Rusty had ducked out after a quick good-bye to the priest, while Sharon and Andy asked to speak to him in private. If Sharon were a betting person, she would have bet the man thought they were seeking marriage counseling or worse, asking about divorce and the Catholic Church, but never, would he have expected to hear the story they'd told them.

 _After getting situated in his private office, with Sharon and Andy close to each other on the couch, again, a sign that they WEREN'T seeking counseling advice or worse, he looked to them from his chair. "What brings the two of you here today? As I said, it's nice to see you again, Andy. It's been far too long."_

 _Andy turned to Sharon, and she began to speak, "Father, we wanted to speak to you this morning to explain something. As you know, my son and I turned up in your town a year and a half ago. We are here to explain the circumstances of that."_

 _He nodded, "I'm listening."_

 _Sharon paused and when Andy laced his hand with hers, she smiled at that and continued, "We were placed here through witness protection. My real name is Captain Sharon Raydor of the Los Angeles Police Department where I run the Major Crimes Division. Rusty is really my son's name, not Chris," she paused as she watched the color drain out of the priest's face. His wide eyes grew as he listened, and he looked between Sharon and Andy, but no words were said. "Andy, here, is my husband; that is true," she smiled at Andy, and he winked at her. "The details surrounding things are what are hazy."_

 _"You're serious?" the priest suggested as he looked between them again, now with a look of slight panic on his face._

 _"Completely," Andy nodded, "this isn't the place for lying or coming up with strange tales." He moved his free hand to his pocket, where normally he didn't have his badge clipped on him when he was in Ohio, but he pulled it from his pocket, along with the surprise to Sharon, her badge, that he had kept at his house all this time. "I'm Lieutenant Andy Flynn, LAPD, Major Crimes," he said quickly as he put both their badges on the coffee table in front of him. "I work for Sharon."_

 _"Work for her?" he asked._

 _"Andy is one of my lieutenants. I supervise a division of police officers. We investigate high profile murders and even things like kidnappings. We often work with the FBI because of the nature of our cases. Los Angeles is a big city with a lot going on all the time," she explained._

 _"But, you are married?" he asked._

 _"Yes," she smiled. "Andy and I were," she looked to him trying to best explain it, and then she continued, "dating when all this mess happened. Rusty and I were pulled from LA and placed here."_

 _"For a case you were all investigating, but somehow you were a target?" he asked trying to fill in the holes._

 _"Not exactly," she explained to him. "It's all written here in a letter," she said as she pulled it from her purse. She had typed it up the night before as a way to officially thank and explain to the church. She always hated keeping it from him, and she wanted complete closure with a man and a church who had been so good to her. "Rusty is my adopted son. He showed up in a case for us when he was 15. Andy and I have known Rusty since the beginning, which is one of the reasons Rusty has always been fine with Andy when you've seen us all together. Rusty was living on the streets and witnessed a serial murderer disposing of a body. The killer has been on the hunt for him, and well, for me too, and that is why we have been placed her. We can tell you all this now because that threat is over; the man is now deceased."_

 _The priest nodded silently; Sharon glanced to Andy, both hoping the priest was doing okay with all the information._

 _"Father, with all of that," Sharon leaned in slightly to catch his glance. He looked to her as she continued to speak, "Andy is here, as is my other top lieutenant, Andy's best friend, they are here to help us move home, back to LA."_

 _"I see," he nodded and let out a long breath. "Wow, you don't hear this every day of the week."_

 _The three chuckled softly, and Andy joined in, "I know I haven't been here much, and you wouldn't be the first person in this town to question my motives, our relationship, or anything. Now, most people, I would tell to mind their own business, but I understand you are coming at this from a very different angle. We appreciate the support and concern you have shown. I found Sharon and Rusty on my own; the agency didn't help me, nor did they know I'd found her. We were in an awkward situation through all of this. They didn't even know she'd gotten married until they called her the other day to go through the procedure for moving home. She's a rule follower at work," he grinned at her, and she shook her head and rolled her eyes, "but in this situation, we finally figured out just how much we loved each other and weren't about to let a serial killer ruin it for us too."_

 _"We have five children," Sharon beamed at the priest, and he looked at her, now very surprised. Andy moved to dig his phone out of his pocket. Rusty, you know, is the youngest. Andy has two children, as do I. We are Catholic; I sought out the church here to help me through all of this because I haven't spoken to my two children, well, until the other day, it had been a year and a half." Andy scrolled through pictures until he found a couple to show the priest._

 _"This is our family," he handed over his phone. "Sharon and Rusty are moving back to LA. We're going to get settled at my house, which is now our house, and we're going to get Sharon back to work. Rusty's college plans are up in the air, pending his own decision. People here believed I had four children, which made it easy not to leave any of them out of our lives. The kids are scattered around the country, and I've kept up with all of them. The four don't know we are married, yet; we're going to tell them in person."_

 _The priest shook his head, "If these walls could talk, they'd never be able to come up with anything like this," he chuckled. "I usually get the basics, marriage issues and the like. I'm speechless."_

 _"I'm sure you are," Sharon nodded. "Look, one of the other things I wanted to explain, that I also detailed in the letter is about our wedding. While I was granted an annulment, and Andy's ex-wife filed for one long ago, I didn't want to get married in the church, and that has nothing to do with the church."_

 _"I'm not following," he frowned._

 _"It was still a lie," she admitted. "I didn't want to get married here with any sort of lie. My name was a lie, and I couldn't do that to the church. Yes, I wanted to marry Andy, and I did, but I had to keep that out of the church."_

 _"I think I understand," he sighed. "I really do."_

 _Sharon looked to Andy, and then back to the priest, "We are leaving in the morning. We told our friends last night. We have a few days' drive back to LA, and then we both need to get back to work."_

 _He chuckled quietly, "So, you don't work for a department store?"_

 _"No," she pursed her lips and then gave him a slight smile. "I protect the people of LA. I carry a gun, and I help pull murderers off the streets."_

 _"She's a tough lady, best cop I know," Andy grinned, "and has the best fashion taste even if that's not her real job. You have no idea what an amazing woman you had show up here in your church."_

 _"I'm beginning to see," the priest nodded. "Sacrificing your life, adopting a child off the streets, the line of work," he nodded and continued, "you two are not what I expected."_

 _"That was the plan," Andy nodded as he pulled the badges from the table. He turned to Sharon, and for the first time in a long time, he offered it to her. "Captain, I think this belongs to you."_

 _Her smile widened, and she took it from him and then put it in her purse. They both turned back to the priest, "We should be going," Sharon nodded, and with that, the three stood._

 _"It's been an honor to have you here, Sharon," he said her name with a slight hesitation. She nodded at him._

 _"The pleasure has been mine. In my dark days, in the times when this all seemed too much, your church has been a blessing. I can't thank you enough. Thank you for being so kind, for everything." She reached over to shake his hand, and he took hers in his._

 _"May your trip be blessed. Would you mind if we prayed before you leave?"_

"This place isn't home, but it was home," Andy said, pulling her from her thoughts. He still had his arm wrapped around her waist, and they were still looking at the house.

"It's sort of a sad-looking house," Sharon let out a chuckle.

"It's just beige," Andy shrugged. "It was sad here for you, yes, but there were also some pretty happy times."

Sharon's expression turned, and she smiled, "You found me here."

"I did," he nodded and kissed her head. "We did a lot of talking her."

"Among other things," Sharon grinned at him. He laughed. "Among other things. Yeah, you know, gardening, shoveling snow," he trailed off and Sharon smacked at his stomach. "Oh, you meant us?" he grinned.

"It's time to go home," Sharon said after a few moments of silence. "You realize those two will eat all day if we don't lure them to the car."

Andy flashed a huge grin, "When I went out last night to gas up the cars, I might have purchased a little snack stash for Rusty's car."

"Snack stash?" she smiled.

He shrugged, "As you said, those two will eat junk food across the whole country, so I loaded them up. I bought one of those little cooler bags, and it's full of candy, snacks, really just about anything neither of us would want, but those two would consider a well-balanced meal."

"I love you, Andy Flynn," she laughed as she leaned up to kiss him.

"Have you been standing out here doing that all morning?" Provenza complained as he walked out of the house and put on his white bucket hat.

Andy pulled back from Sharon and turned to him, "You brought your crime scene hat?"

"It's just my good hat," he shrugged. "It's not just for crime scenes. Right now, it's for a road trip."

"Is Rusty almost done?" Sharon asked.

"He was using the bathroom," and as he said that, Rusty walked out of the house.

"I'm ready," he nodded to them. "The lieutenant is letting me drive first," he grinned.

"I'll do one last check," Sharon told the group. "Andy?" He nodded and followed behind her. Rusty and Provenza started to get situated in Rusty's car.

The house was quiet, and it was somewhat orderly even with boxes everywhere. The boxes were stacked and labeled. Andy grinned at the instructions on the large pile. The stack was labeled, "Raydor-Los Angeles," and under that, it had his name and address. All of that had been logged with the agency, but Sharon and Andy knew things often got lost in moves, especially when they weren't going to be there to oversee the move. Andy waited in the door while Sharon walked down the hall. They'd done this already, but he knew she needed this last bit of closure.

"Sharon, you wanted to get on the road," Andy reminded her as she walked back in the room and looked at a pile of the boxes. "We've got 12 hours or more today."

She nodded, and she ran her hand over the writing on the box, "I have an appointment Friday morning, first thing, downtown, to get my name, cards, all of my identity back," she told him. He raised his eyebrows; she hadn't told him that. She nodded, "They told me to bring my new documents, marriage license included, and they will redo all of that for us."

"Oh?" he smiled.

"So, as of Friday, I'll officially have my name again," she grinned and walked to him where he put his hand out to take hers.

"Well, as we know, I still thought of you as Sharon, even at the wedding," he chuckled.

"At least I'm now used to adjusting to a new name," she winked at him.

"You're going to change your name?" he raised his eyebrows. Sharon turned, her one hand laced with his, and she put her other hand on his chest.

"We have finally worked through everything. We've gotten together and married in the worst circumstances. After all this, I've come to realize a name is a name. I had to live with a foreign one for a year and a half, a name that never felt right. Flynn feels right," she winked again. "We should go."

"So, can I go with you on Friday for all this?" he asked, as she pulled him to the door.

"Hmm, well, if you want that official marriage license, I'd suggest it. They will need your signature. I thought you'd like to keep me, you know, now that I can finally be Sharon Flynn," she grinned.

"We'd better get going," he said as he pulled the door closed and used the key Sharon handed it to lock it. "We aren't missing that appointment."

The two turned and started for the car and were surprised to see that Sharon's friends had pulled up next to their cars. They were out of the cars and at Rusty's car talking to them. Sharon and Andy, hand in hand, walked up to them.

"We hoped we could catch you," Becky smiled. "Snacks for the road," she offered two different bags of food.

Kathy clarified, "We baked cookies, brownies, banana bread, all easy things to eat."

Provenza's eyes grew wide, as he accepted the bag. Sharon covered her mouth to keep from laughing, "That is just so sweet," she said, and she pulled them in for a hug. "I'll miss you. Please come to LA. We'd love to have you."

"Oh, we're planning on it," Eric said. The guys had come over to shake hands with Andy and Provenza. "None of us have been to California. We're already planning what to do."

"Call us," Andy nodded.

"You let us know when you get home," Kathy looked to the house and back to Sharon as she smiled. "Let us know when you get to your real home, please."

"We will," Sharon patted their hands. "We should go."

They loaded up with their friends watching. The two cars pulled out and turned westward, as their friends waved to them. Sharon, who couldn't see through her tears, reached over to Andy. "Thank you for driving first."

"Are you kidding?" he squeezed her hand. "I figured it might take you to the Mississippi River before you aren't so emotional," he grinned. "East of the river-emotional, west of the river-well, emotional too, but excited to get home."

Sharon started to laugh, and she leaned her head back against the seat, "Hmm, well, see I plotted it like this-you have to follow Rusty, and we both know what a headache that can be."

"This suddenly became a much longer trip," Andy rolled his eyes at her. Sharon started to laugh. "Hmm, well, let's drive. We've got over 2500 miles to go."


	63. Chapter 63

The first few hours of the trip passed easily. It was agreed that they would stop as needed for food, gas, and the restroom. Even though it was going to be a long drive, the group was happy almost every mile of it was on the interstate or the freeway, which was one oddity Sharon had grown used to while living in Ohio. Much of the West called it the freeway, but she and Rusty had gotten odd looks at their mention of the word, and now, she switched between words almost effortlessly.

"Looks like we're stopping for a restroom break," Andy nodded as Rusty put the turn signal on to indicate he was getting off the road. Sharon looked and then found her shoes, which she'd kicked off in the car.

"Great, I was just about to suggest it. I didn't want to hear from Provenza that I was holding up the group," she grinned.

Andy rolled his eyes, "He's probably the one who suggested it. Ahh, good, that nice large truck plaza," he nodded as they all pulled in. It was still mid-morning with their early departure, and they all took a few moments to stretch after they parked.

"Hey," Rusty smiled at them as he walked toward them. Provenza had gone ahead, and Sharon laughed when she noticed that.

"Hi, yourself," Sharon smiled. "How is your drive with the lieutenant?"

"Oh, great," he grinned. "We're talking about all kinds of things. He doesn't even seem to mind my music choices."

"That's because he's old and can't hear," Andy smirked as he held open the door. The three entered.

"Oh, nice, food!" Rusty nodded as he looked around.

"Rusty! Andy said you had a snack bag full of food, not to mention when Kathy and Becky brought by this morning. If anything, I can understand something to drink, but food?" she frowned.

"Sharon, I'm still a growing boy," he nodded.

"Well, growing boy, get a move on it," Andy scolded him. "We're still in Ohio, and we have a long way to go to get to Missouri tonight."

They were going to stay in western Missouri, almost 12 hours and 800 miles away from their Ohio home. It was a long day, but they had a lot of driving to do. With four drivers, too, they knew they could switch around as needed for the duration. Rusty grinned ,and all quickly moved in their different directions to use the restroom. When Sharon came out, she found Andy at the coffee area getting them both something to drink.

"Thank you for the coffee," she put her hand on Andy's arm as she walked up to him. He turned and smiled at her.

"You're welcome. Be glad I'm not shopping with the other two," he nodded across the store. Sharon turned and tried to see what they were doing. Andy continued with the explanation. "So, Rusty is getting some sort of breakfast burrito," he grimaced. "Don't ask," he shook his head. "Provenza just walked by with one of those jumbo, like 60 oz. refillable drinks. He actually had the cashier look up other rest stops along the route that would accept his cup. He had to make sure he got the full $9.99 price out of it."

"He didn't," Sharon put her head in her hands and started to laugh.

"Oh, he did," Andy laughed too.

"Hmm, so I take it we'll be stopping often today?" she continued to laugh.

"Between that and Rusty's breakfast burrito," he nodded and continued, "oh, and Provenza bought Patrice another gift."

Sharon made a face, "What did he find for her here?"

"Buckeyes," Andy nodded. "You got him hooked on those candies, and now he can't get enough of them. You do realize they now have to be part of your Christmas tradition, right? I tried to explain to the guy that people here mostly eat them at Christmas. Well, he found a souvenir tin of them, and he's taking them to Patrice."

"He knows they are really just a peanut butter ball type candy dipped in chocolate, right?" Sharon continued to laugh.

Andy shrugged, "Just make them for him at Christmas. He'll probably do all his paperwork and not try to pawn it off on me. Consider it really a gift to me. I can't argue too much; they are good, and I enjoyed them when you made them last Christmas."

"Okay," Sharon nodded and chuckled. Provenza had found them in a few stores on this trip, and when Sharon had told him that yes, she knew how to make them, his eyes had grown wide. Now, he was apparently buying up the supply in the state to take back to California."

"Are we ready, yet?" Andy asked as Provenza and Rusty walked up to them. Provenza had his arms full of candy tins, his drink, and another fleece blanket.

"Provenza, it's hot. Why are you buying that?" Andy asked. It was an Ohio State blanket, gray with red lettering.

"Souvenir," he shrugged. "It's for Patrice."

"Wow, Patrice is one lucky lady," Rusty teased him, the three knowing that none of it really was for Patrice. "She's going to feel like she came to Ohio with everything you are bringing her."

Provenza scowled at him, and the four made their way to the counter. Andy grabbed Rusty's burrito and drink, and he headed to one register with that and the coffees he'd poured for himself and Sharon. Provenza followed behind with his arms full.

"Why are you following me?" he asked. "The other register is open."

"You have easy access to your wallet. I don't because my arms are full," he gestured with his hands.

Andy rolled his eyes, "So, I'm supposed to buy your stupid drink and the gifts for your wife?"

"It's the least you can do, Flynn. I am helping you on this trip," Provenza pointed out.

"You wanted to come! We talked about this, and I think you were as excited to see them as I was, which is saying a lot," Andy sighed. "Just put it up there," he gestured. Sharon and Rusty had already walked outside, both very much aware of the normal banter between the two men. A few minutes later, Andy huffed as he got back in the car. Sharon looked to him and gave him a fake smile.

"Everything okay?" she asked. "Really, I should say how much did you spend?"

"That guy is so cheap!" Andy exclaimed and hit his hand on the steering wheel.

"Would you like me to drive? I don't mind," she offered.

"I'm fine. I just spent $45 in there for what really was supposed to be two cups of coffee. Instead, I bought candy, a blanket, and enough food for the whole day."

Sharon sipped hers and smiled at him, "If only you had bought the refillable ones as Provenza did."

"You're about to be left here in Ohio," he smirked at her.

"Hmm," she nodded. "Yes, and that would last all of about five minutes. You can't live without me."

He let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah, you're right about that. Oh, geez," he looked up. "Rusty's already turning back onto the entrance ramp." Andy put the car into drive to catch up to him.

"This is going to be quite the ride," Sharon laughed. "I am almost afraid for what might happen."

The time passed quickly as the two had no problems with conversation. It was nearing 11:00 when Sharon's phone rang. She looked to Andy with an odd expression because not many had her Ohio number. Most of the people who did were on the road with her.

"Area code is Los Angeles," she frowned at Andy.

"Maybe it's from the agency?" he suggested. "They would have your number."

She shrugged and answered the call, "Hello."

"Shar-on, it' s Jack. Boy, am I glad to hear your voice," Jack said.

Sharon snapped her finger toward Andy to get his attention, and when he glanced at her, she mouthed, 'Jack,' and put her finger to her mouth to indicate for him to be quiet. He nodded, and she then put the phone on speaker mode.

"Jack, why are you calling, and how did you get this number? she asked.

"Well, gee, thanks for the greeting, Sharon. Nothing like-good to hear from you, hope you are doing well, can't wait to see you?" he asked.

Sharon pursed her lips and shook her head at Andy, and then she continued, "Jack, I hope you are well. Why are you calling, and how did you get this number?"

"Why, Emily, of course," he told her. "Emily called, ecstatic, that you were finally coming home. "I assume you told Ricky? I never did hear from him."

"Of course, I told Ricky," she said, now irritated. "Don't even start to suggest I wouldn't call my own son as soon as I could."

"Well, you did abandon your two biological children to go move off with a street kid," he pointed out to her.

"Jack, I'm going to hang up. I'm not going to let you insult me!" she exclaimed.

"Okay, okay," he sighed. "Look, that isn't how I wanted to start, how I wanted to talk to you."

"What do you want, Jack?" Sharon asked as she folded her arms. She turned slightly in her seat so she was facing Andy a little more, and she shook her head at him to not say anything.

"I wanted to call and tell you that I'm really glad you are coming back to LA. I really am, Sharon. This time you've been gone, I've done a lot of thinking. I'd really like to get together with you when you return, to talk and well, see about the future," he admitted.

Andy raised his eyebrows at Sharon, and she rolled her eyes. "Jack, there's nothing to discuss."

"There's a lot to discuss. Look, having you out of my life like that, it was awful. I hated not knowing where you were," he admitted.

"Hmm, welcome to my world for what, over 20 years? Wait, we aren't married; I had no obligation to tell you anything, yet, when you did it of your own free will, we were married, but, you didn't care to ever let me know where you were, Jack," she stated in her ever-growing, irritated tone.

"Well, that's part of it, Sharon. I want to apologize for everything I put you through. Look, I was calling to set up some time we can talk. It's important to me. I don't even mind Rusty; I like the kid a lot," he told her.

"Jack," Sharon said in her fake, caring voice, "we're over. Nothing needs to be said or discussed."

"Sharon, that's not going to work. We share kids; we have a family," he pleaded.

"Had a family, Jack. Yes, we share children, but they are grown. You can speak to them or see them whenever you want, which brings me to this thought-how were they when I was gone? Did you spend a lot of time with them?" Sharon knew the answers to the questions, but she needed to put Jack on the spot.

"Well, I've been working a lot, trying to put some money back in the bank, Sharon. It's expensive to live in LA, even on my own. I didn't have time off to see the kids or visit."

"So, you're telling me that in a year and a half, you couldn't find time to go visit Emily or Ricky, or even when they came to LA, say for instance, Ricky with his girlfriend, you couldn't see them?" she asked.

"How do you know Ricky has a girlfriend and was in LA?" he asked. The phone was silent a moment before he continued, "Right, Flynn. I should have known. Ricky stayed with Flynn. That guy-he's meddling, Sharon.

Sharon reached over and touched Andy's arm. She knew he would get irritated with Jack's call, but she wanted him to remain calm and just focus on driving.

"Jack, don't drag Andy into this. He saw the kids. Andy went to New York on more than one occasion. Don't put your bad parenting skills on Andy," she said pointedly.

"Flynn," he sighed. "I heard he came to deliver the good news that you could go home. Why am I not surprised his name is now part of our conversation?"

"Jack, we're not discussing Andy," she explained.

"Fine by me. I'd like to discuss us," he told her.

"There is no us, Jack. I've got too much to do right now, so I think we should really not talk further," she told him.

"The kids told me that you would be back in town before the end of the week. I can stop by the condo before they arrive. Emily said they were flying in Friday," he stated.

"No, Jack," she rolled her eyes again. "That would not be a good idea." Sharon couldn't tell him about her new living situation because she didn't want Jack to know before the kids that she was married. To her relief, the kids hadn't asked about the housing arrangements yet. They had just been so glad to speak to her, that topic had not come up yet. Now, she really just wanted off the phone with him.

"You can't keep me from seeing the kids!" he exclaimed.

"No, I can't, and I won't, Jack. Make your own arrangements with them, but do not include me in them. Do not think that you can come join me to wait at home for them to arrive. I'd suggest you check in with them, say on Saturday, to finalize any plans."

"So, I can call you Saturday?" he asked hopefully. Andy rolled his eyes at the guy's attempt to see Sharon.

"Call Emily on Saturday, Jack. I need to go," she told him.

"Be safe, Sharon. It's going to be great having my wife back in LA," he said with a note of joy in his voice. Sharon disconnected the call and sighed as she put her head back against the seat.

"The nerve of that guy," Andy scowled. Sharon, still with eyes closed, reached over to pat his arm.

"Thank you for not getting involved in that. I really appreciate it, and I know it wasn't easy to just listen. I promise to make it up to you tonight," she cracked an eye open and smiled at him.

"Really?" he grinned at her.

"Hmm, yes, reward for good behavior," she chuckled.

"Wow, Jack can call anytime, then," he nodded. "Anytime."

"Now, see, that could end your reward program," she nodded.

"I won't say another word," he winked.

The two discussed Jack further, but before they knew it, it was time for another stop. This time, they were doing a much larger stop, gas, food, and the restroom. It was just after 11:00 now, and while early, they were all ready for lunch. They were now just west of Indianapolis. In addition to everything else for the day, they were going to start changing time zones, so they had agreed to stop looking at the clock and just go with hunger when they felt it. Sharon and Andy had agreed on that, not the other two, because well, Rusty and Provenza were always hungry.

Neither Sharon nor Andy were particularly hungry, and on this stretch of road, there weren't a lot of options, even for the interstate, but they knew they needed to eat. They ended up at a typical fast food restaurant where Rusty and Provenza could get a burger. Sharon and Andy each opted for a salad and baked potato.

"Well, Rusty, how are you enjoying your first visit to Indiana?" Sharon grinned at him from the booth.

Rusty shrugged, "So far, it's flat like Ohio, not much different."

Sharon looked to Provenza, as Andy already knew what she was going to explain to Provenza, "Rusty hadn't been outside of California when he first came to live with me. Before we moved to Ohio, he'd only been to California, New York, Utah, and Nevada, with going to see my parents at their ski condo that one year. Now, he's adding quite a few states to his list."

Provenza shrugged and looked to Rusty, "One thing you learn," he took a bite and continued, "there are idiots everywhere, no matter where you travel."

"Dirt bags across America," Rusty grinned. "That's what Andy says." Andy nodded in agreement, and Sharon scowled at all of them. They weren't enjoying her road trip as much as she was.

"Well, what's the driving situation now?" Andy asked.

"I'm good for another couple hours," Rusty looked to Provenza.

"No argument from me," Provenza raised his arms and continued, "even if I have to close my eyes while you dodge in and out of traffic."

"Yeah, by the way," Andy pointed to Rusty, "slow it down. I'm okay with a few over, but we're not doing the 15 mph over you were doing back there."

"Hey, that was only because the lieutenant had to use the bathroom, like an emergency," he nodded.

"Rusty! That wasn't me. It was your dumb burrito!" Provenza exclaimed.

"Hey!" Andy raised his voice. "I don't care. Drop the speed some. End of discussion."

"I'll drive for awhile," Sharon patted his hand. Andy looked to her, and he nodded.

"Thanks," he winked at her.

"Rusty," she turned her attention to him. "You'll slow down, or you'll answer to me next."

The next section of the trip put them into the middle of the afternoon. After their early lunch, the four settled in for several hours in the car. They decided to make a quick stop just before hitting the outer limits of St. Louis. They knew that with a large city, it would be wise to be fresh. Their pit stop was fast, but they decided to switch drivers and cars for the next few hours.

"I don't mind driving again," Sharon told the group as they were figuring out the car situation outside the rest area.

"My stomach is a little upset," Rusty grimaced. "I'd prefer not to drive."

"I wonder why," Andy put his hand to his mouth. "Let's see, could it be the gas station breakfast burrito or the greasy burger at lunch? So many options," he shook his head.

"You're like such a dad, so mean," Rusty groaned. "I feel terrible, and you're making fun of me."

"Someone's got to do it," Andy shrugged. "Here's an idea-stop eating until dinner."

"Okay," Sharon stepped between the two of them and glared at both of them. "Let's not put Andy and Rusty together right now."

"I'm okay to drive, unless you want to, Provenza?" Andy asked.

"I'm not driving," he looked to them like they were crazy. "I will if I have to, but by all means," he gestured to Andy. Andy looked to Sharon.

"You drive your car, and I'll drive Rusty's?" he suggested. She nodded, and that is how the group found themselves. Rusty ended up with Sharon, and Andy ended up with Provenza.

"Do you think it's a good idea, the two of them?" Rusty asked when he buckled up and got comfortable.

"Hmm, anymore, not any worse than you with Andy. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you are his son. Your sarcasm level is almost matching his."

Rusty chuckled, "Well, you have always wanted us to get along. The rest of the drive today shouldn't be too bad. I mean, we're already in Missouri, and you said we're staying in this state tonight."

"True, but Rusty, we have several hours to go, at least four or more, depending on traffic," she admitted.

He groaned and looked to her, "That's like a long time in the car," he whined. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Gear up for two more days of this," she nodded to him. "Just because we are in a state doesn't mean we'll drive though it quickly. Take California for example," she pointed out to him.

"Yeah, well, at least none of the states we still have to drive through are as big as California," he told her.

Sharon chuckled, "True, but this is a big country, Rusty, and if you thought the scenery has been boring, it is possible for it to get worse."

Andy told Sharon to take the lead in this segment, and they all were back on the road and driving toward St. Louis. As they approached the city, they started to see caution signs for road construction. Rusty's phone rang after the first signs.

"It's the lieutenant," he told Sharon, and he put it on speaker phone.

"Sharon, did you see the road construction signs?" Andy asked, even though it was Provenza's phone.

"Yes, but I would really like to stay on our current route so Rusty can see the arch," she smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm okay with that too, then," he sighed.

"Flynn! I don't want to sit in hours of road construction. We should take the loop around. It's faster," Provenza told him.

"What would you know? You aren't from St. Louis. Maybe everyone will have the same idea and take the loop around, and then we'll be the ones to get through the city quickly," Andy suggested.

"You know we'll get stuck, Flynn. Let's take the loop," Provenza suggested.

"Sharon?" Andy asked.

"I'd like to stay on this route. Tell you what, we could try each route and see who gets around the city first?" she suggested. "It would be a little game."

"You're on, Captain!" Provenza exclaimed. Sharon heard Andy sigh.

"Fine," he said. "Be careful, and just for the record, I'd rather stick with you."

"Oh, Flynn! You don't have to be glued to your wife! She's perfectly capable of driving through road construction. Captain, what does the winner get?" Provenza asked.

Sharon looked to Rusty for an idea. He shrugged, and she smiled with a thought in mind, "The winner picks dinner tonight at the hotel."

"You're on. See you at the hotel." Provenza answered and hung up the phone.

"What was that?" Rusty laughed.

"Hmm, I'd say we have the lieutenant excited about another dimension to the road trip. Now, we just need to arrive before the guys," she grinned.

Sharon and Rusty had a slight delay in St. Louis, and after that, they still had a few hours on the road before they stopped near the Kansas state line for the night. Rusty had called Provenza's phone, but Provenza had refused to tell them where they were. The four had agreed to meet at the hotel, so as Sharon pulled in now, into the evening, they scanned the lot for the guys.

"I don't think they are here. I'm kinda surprised since we got stuck in traffic for almost 45 minutes," Rusty admitted.

"Hmm, as am I," Sharon nodded. "I'll go and get checked in for the night."

Rusty followed her inside, and he looked around while she talked to the desk clerk.

"Hi, two rooms for Flynn," she explained. Rusty walked around the corner and came back.

"Sharon, they have a full breakfast in the morning," he grinned.

"How are you hungry? I thought your stomach was upset," she asked.

"Yeah, well, it will be ready for breakfast. That's for sure. Oh, there's a pool and hot tub too." Sharon rolled her eyes; sometimes, she had to remind herself Rusty had not grown up with much of a normal childhood and while 20, he often acted 10.

Sharon got the keys to the two rooms, and she and Rusty unloaded the two overnight bags. Her car had her bag as well as Andy's bag, so Rusty couldn't' do much in his room except watch tv or mess with his phone. After they were settled in their rooms, which were across the hall from each other, Sharon called Andy directly.

"Hi," she smiled when she heard his voice. "How's your trip?"

He groaned, "I'm so irritated I let Provenza talk me into the loop."

Sharon chuckled, "That bag, huh? How much longer until you arrive?"

"Ahh, by the looks of it from my GPS, about an hour. How far out are you?" he asked.

"An hour!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," he sighed. "We got stopped because of an accident, and the loop was longer anyway. Just our luck, and then Mr. Big Gulp has had to refill his drink twice. Wait, where are you?"

Sharon bit her lip, "I'm sitting in the hotel room."

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Andy exclaimed.

"Hmm, I'm here, all alone, and you're not," she teased him. "It's almost lonely."

"We are not switching cars anymore!" he exclaimed. Sharon heard him turn toward Provenza. "So, Sharon and Rusty are in the hotel right now. My wife is sitting in our room, alone, and guess where I'd like to be?" she heard him exclaim. Sharon started to laugh when she heard Provenza grumble something to Andy.

"Andy, just tell Provenza that after my nice salad at lunch, I'm feeling like a junk food night, maybe a pizza for dinner. See you when you get here; I might just go take a hot bubble bath now. Bye," she teased him again.

Sharon burst out laughing when she hung up. The first day of the drive was in the books, or almost, for Andy and Provenza. It felt so good to be normal, to finally be on the way home.


	64. Chapter 64

She stood in the lobby doors of the hotel and watched as Andy and Provenza pulled in for the night. With her arms crossed, she smiled at them as they drove by and parked next to her car. Sharon started walking toward them, trying to keep her grin at bay.

"You made good time," she said flatly, stating the absolute opposite of what was true. Andy glared at her as he got out of the car and shook his head. Provenza pulled himself out of the car, too, along with his drink cup and a small bag of trash.

"Don't even start," Andy sighed. "I can't believe you've been here for over an hour."

She glanced at her watch and gave him a small smile, "It's been over an hour and a half by now. Hello, Lieutenant," she smiled at Provenza.

"Captain," he nodded at her. "I'll give you your victory. Flynn and I may have picked the wrong route."

"Wrong route!" Andy exclaimed as he pulled Rusty's suitcase out of the car. Provenza grabbed his, and both men tried not to jostle anything else in the car; it was packed well for the long move. "Wrong route is maybe getting stopped for a few minutes. We practically took a detour across the country!"

Sharon covered her mouth to keep from laughing. She had not doubt the last hour in the car with the two of them had been one complaint after another between the best friends. She walked over to Andy and gestured for him to hand her some of the bags he was retrieving. They had all packed a basic overnight type bag for the hotel. That, along with the snacks and the cooler, were all going inside. "You made it here safely. That's all that matters."

"To you," Andy complained as he sulked. "I don't even care that you won. I'm mad that we wasted so much time on the road. I'm mad that I listened to him and didn't follow you."

"Hmm," Sharon grinned at him, "so can we record tha?. I was right," she nodded and grinned at him. He rolled his eyes, and when she tried to lean up and kiss him, he turned his head in mock annoyance. "Oh, Andy," she sighed. He turned back to her, and when he caught her looking away, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. She swatted at him and gestured toward the building. "Let's go inside. We're on the second floor. Lieutenant, Rusty is waiting for you, and your room is across from ours. He scouted out the pool and hot tub and wants to go before we eat."

Provenza nodded, "What is the dinner plan, Captain?"

"Well," she said as she pulled Rusty's suitcase next to Andy who was carrying the cooler and snacks, "I knew you two would be tired from the road. Rusty is too and begged me not to go out again this evening. I looked at the options, and we can just have pizza delivered here if that would be okay with everyone?"

"That sounds perfect," Andy sighed. "I don't want to go anywhere else tonight."

"I'm going to soak in that hot tub," Provenza nodded and shrugged, "you know, to keep Rusty company."

"Please, be my guest," Andy told him as he held the door for Provenza and for Sharon. "All I want to do after that long drive is to stretch out. My legs are so stiff."

"You should go to the hot tub," Provenza said as they arrived at the elevator.

"I don't want to be in the same room with you right now, OLD MAN!" Andy exclaimed as they stepped on the elevator. Sharon just shook her head and stayed silent. They arrived on the second floor, and Sharon walked them down the hall. She knocked on Rusty's door, and he opened it quickly.

"Great, you're here!" he flashed a grin. "I was waiting for my swim trunks," he said as he took his bag from Sharon. "Anyone up for the pool and hot tub?"

Andy chuckled, "You sound five. I had a flashback to when the kids were young, and I was still living with them. We went on a vacation, and all I remember hearing from Nicole was how she wanted to get to the pool. Fast forward almost 30 years later, and here we are again," he chuckled.

"I'm going, Rusty," Provenza nodded as he entered the room. "Captain, which room is yours?"

"Right here, across the hall," Sharon said as she opened the door. She looked back to them as Andy walked in with the bags. "We'll order the pizza soon, and that should give you time in the pool."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the two doors closed, giving each room privacy. Andy flopped on the bed, face down, from his long day. Sharon stood there and chuckled at him.

"It's not funny," he mumbled from the bed where it was hard to hear him.

"Hmm, it is," she continued to laugh. She situated herself so she was next to him to look him in the eye. "I'm glad you're here. Rusty was almost ready to jump in with the clothes he was wearing. You weren't kidding when you said he was acting five."

Andy laughed as he looped his arm around Sharon and pulled her closer. The two sighed after the long day of driving. "So, Rusty was annoying you, and that's the only reason you're glad I'm here?"

"Well, I was getting hungry, and it would have been rude to eat without you," she teased. Andy started to tickle her. "Okay! I confess," she continued to laugh. "I might be glad to see you too."

"If only it was that easy to get confessions out of any of our suspects," he teased. Sharon continue to laugh, and then he sighed, "I can't believe I missed the bubble bath." Sharon burst out laughing.

"There was no bubble bath, Andy." He sat up, hopeful, and looked to her. "Hmm," she leaned in toward him and kissed him. "It's just a walk-in shower bathroom." Andy's facial expression changed again, and she knew that was almost the last straw in the long list of irritants for the day. She patted his shoulders. "At least we aren't sharing a room with Rusty and Provenza."

"I know the agency is paying your travel, but I will gladly pay for two rooms just to be away from them. That's a blessing. I can't believe how stiff I am," he hissed.

"Sit up," she encouraged him. She stood, and when he sat up, she pulled him up so he was standing right in front of her.

"Hmm, I like your idea," he grinned. She rolled her eyes.

"We're going to take a walk. We have been in the car for over 12 hours today without much movement. We need to walk. We have two more days of this, so let's go for a short walk. It can just be around the property, but let's stretch our legs. It's good exercise," she explained.

He eyed her, "We need to discuss exercise options. I don't like yours. My ideas are better."

"This now, or you can join the other two down at the pool," she grinned.

"Fine, we can walk. Can we try my idea later?" he winked at her.

"Maybe," she nodded. "Let's walk and eat. The night is still young, Lieutenant," she grinned.

The two went on their walk, and when they finished, they walked back to their room. Both were a little surprised Rusty and Provenza weren't back from the pool, so Andy offered to check on them while Sharon looked up pizza places to order their dinner. When none of them returned another 15 minutes later, and Andy hadn't returned her text messages, she decided to check on the three of them. With her irritation growing, she walked into the pool area and instantly rolled her eyes. Provenza was in the hot tub, which wasn't a surprise. Rusty was swimming laps, something he'd started to enjoy before they'd moved from the condo; Sharon had found he couldn't swim well, so she'd taught him how to swim, and after that, he often enjoyed swimming laps when she would do so. Her irritation was with Andy, really, Provenza too, because the two men were talking to a group of four younger women who were also soaking in the hot tub. They looked to be around Nicole and Emily's ages. Andy had pulled up a chair to chat with the group. Sharon walked over, crossed her arms, and cleared her throat.

"Oh, hi, Sweetheart," Andy grinned at her. Sharon walked over to the hot tub and just gave Andy a single nod. "We were just talking to these lovely ladies who are traveling back to Texas. They were in Iowa over the weekend for their cousin's wedding, and these four lovely sisters are on their way home. They've been telling us some really funny wedding stories from the weekend. Ladies, this is my wife. She's a detective too, our boss, in fact."

"Hi," they all said in unison and gave her a small wave and smile. She nodded to them.

"How nice," Sharon gave a fake smile. "I was getting hungry myself."

"Ahh, Captain, we're just swapping traveling stories," Provenza looked to her. "Don't mind us; go ahead and order dinner.

"Hmm, I will," Sharon continued with her smile. "Andy are you going to walk up with me, or are you going to come up with Rusty and Provenza?"

Andy looked to her, to Rusty, and then to the hot tub filled with Provenza and the ladies; there was only one right answer to this question, especially when a guy's wife was standing there asking it. He met Provenza's gaze, and then he turned to Sharon. "I'll be right up. I'll make sure Rusty gets out of the pool."

"Fine," Sharon nodded as she crossed her hands in front of her. "I'll see all of you upstairs shortly."

Sharon tried to get Rusty's attention, but he seemed focused on swimming, so she didn't bother him. The pool was a decent size for a hotel, and Sharon just shook her head at the irritation she'd just witnessed. She waited until she got out of the pool area before she started laughing. Of course, Provenza and Andy had stumbled onto a group of women, sisters, traveling together. She pursed her lips as she thought about the best way to get her revenge.

It took another 20 minutes for the guys to return. She heard them coming as soon as they got off the elevator. All three were talking and laughing, Rusty, of course, either not aware or at least not a culprit in the scene downstairs. She heard Rusty's door open, and then she heard their door open. Andy, unaware he'd made any faux paus, flashed a huge smile at Sharon.

"Dinner on the way?" he asked.

"Hmm," she glanced up from the tv, "oh yes. Dinner should be here any minute." Andy nodded and walked further into the room. He kicked off his shoes and started to sit down on the bed next to Sharon where she was sitting against the headboard watching the television. He turned to the tv, and instantly, he got irritated.

"Badge? You're kidding, right? It's on tonight, now, here at the hotel?" he complained.

Sharon flashed him a huge smile, "It's a Badge marathon! They are running all the last season today up to the summer premiere episode at 10:00 tonight. I totally forgot about it with everything going on. Rusty is going to be so excited."

Andy groaned, "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Rusty can enjoy it in his own room."

Sharon turned and gave a simple smile, "I like the show too, as you know. I'd like to watch it. I'd suggest if you don't want to watch, you can join Provenza in his room and watch something else. The other option," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "would be to rejoin your lady friends in the pool area."

"Wait, what?" he exclaimed. "Oh, come on, Sharon. You know nothing was going on there. I was just talking to them. Provenza is the one who had been talking to them for almost an hour. I was just being polite, saying hi. They were fascinated with the two of us being detectives. Three of the sisters were nurses, and one was a teacher. It was just nice to meet them."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded. "Yes, I'm glad you made new friends. I'm not jealous, but when your WIFE," she said with emphasis, "asks if you'd like to leave with her, next time, go."

Andy sighed and ran his hand over his face. He just nodded, and the knock at the door had him stand. "I'm sorry; you're right," he said as he walked to the door. He opened it, expecting Provenza or Rusty, but he wasn't terribly surprised to see it was their pizza.

"Hey, thanks," Andy said after he signed the credit card slip and took the two pizza boxes. He looked back to Sharon. "I'm sorry again. Are we okay?"

"Hmm, fine," she said and stood to let Provenza and Rusty know about the pizza. She grinned when, from the doorway, she heard Andy open the boxes, "Double mushrooms, both of them!" he exclaimed. Sharon chuckled to herself when she returned to the room. Yes, Andy was a vegetarian, but he hated mushrooms. She and Rusty loved them, but it was the one vegetable he didn't like. She also knew Provenza didn't either. Her original order would have been a meat lover type pizza for Rusty and Provenza and a veggie lover for the two of them, but after her irritation with the pool, she'd sought revenge. Badge being on tv had been a sweet bonus.

She shrugged at him, "I was going to ask you what you wanted on the walk back from the pool."

Andy grimaced and then just nodded. He started to pull the mushrooms off the pizza without another word and piled them up on the paper plates that had come with the pizza. Sharon had to turn away when Provenza and Rusty walked in just so they didn't see her laughing.

When she rejoined them, they were quiet as they sat and ate. The three of them were focused on eating and hadn't said much; it was obvious the pizza revenge had done its job. She took her slice of pizza, grabbed a paper plate, and a bottle of water, and she moved to the spot on the side of the bed to sit, next to Andy. He glanced to her and frowned. It took everything she had not to laugh. Instead, she looked to Rusty.

"Rusty, I almost forgot," she grinned and nodded to the television which had been turned off for dinner. "Badge comes on tonight. They are running a marathon right now of last season."

"Badge? Awesome!" Rusty grinned. "We can watch that, Lieutenant," he grinned at Provenza.

"Oh, no," Provenza waved his hand. "I'm with Flynn on that; I just don't grumble about it all the time. I'm not watching that."

"Thank you!" Andy exclaimed as he nodded. Sharon glanced to him and had to hold back her smile at the pile of mushrooms on the side of his plate had grown. He quickly changed his tune.

"Rusty, you can watch it in here with Sharon. I'll watch a ball game or something with Provenza," he said quietly. He shook his head and sighed. Sharon smiled at him as she reached over and grabbed a few of the mushrooms to eat for herself.

"Sounds good to me," Sharon said between bites. The four finished eating, and they swapped rooms for the evening based on their tv preferences. Andy's string of bad luck continued when he walked into their room at promptly 11:00, knowing the show was over, and he found Sharon watching the television intently, but Rusty fast asleep. He nodded at Rusty, who was sleeping in his spot.

"Someone's been sleeping in my bed," he grumbled, and Sharon turned to Rusty with a pitiful face.

"I hate to wake him," she pleaded. "You could just stay with Provenza."

"Sharon! I am not sleeping in Provenza's room. You're my wife, and I've had to be away from you much too long anyway. I want to sleep here with you," he complained. "I never sleep well without you."

"Ahhh, my ears," Rusty jumped up and made a face at Andy. "I wasn't asleep; I was just messing with you, but I really don't want to hear anything about your sleeping arrangements," he grimaced. "I'll take the lieutenant's snoring any day. Night," he almost ran for the door as Sharon laughed. Andy glared at her, and she just grinned.

"Oh, come on-that was funny," she told him as he sighed. He walked to his suitcase to get his things out for the night. "Andy," she tried again when he didn't answer her the first time.

"Rules for Day 2 of the trip," he turned and pointed at her with his toothbrush.

She crossed her arms and nodded, trying not to laugh at just how absurd he looked standing there pointing with his toothbrush, "I'm listening."

"We ride together, all day. We don't listen to anything Provenza suggests. Dinner has to include vegetables, anything but mushrooms, oh, and no visits to the pool."

Sharon burst out laughing, "I think I can agree to those terms."

"Good," he nodded firmly. "Can we renegotiate the terms of your deal from earlier, or I should say my exercise suggestions?"

"Only if you curl up here and watch Badge with me," she grinned. "They are replaying the new episode again right now." Andy looked up, sighed, and he shook his head. He walked silently into the bathroom while Sharon had to laugh into her pillow for fear of being too loud.

The morning came too quickly, especially when the group knew they had another very long day of driving. Sharon knocked on Rusty and Provenza's door at 7:00, to find Provenza up and dressed, but Rusty sleeping. They all agreed to meet downstairs for the continental breakfast.

Sharon and Andy walked downstairs together. He'd suffered through the episode of Badge, and after that, they had had a quiet night. He laced his fingers with hers on the elevator as he gave her a small smile. She returned it, and when the doors opened, they walked toward the breakfast area.

"Rusty is going to have a field day in here," Andy chuckled as he looked at the spread of free food. He looked to Sharon, "Tea?"

"Coffee this morning is fine," she told him. "It's going to be a long day."

"I'll get our coffee if you want to scope out the options," he suggested. She nodded, and the two parted. They met at a table a few minutes later, Andy with both coffees in hand, and Sharon with two plates of food. She'd found oatmeal, fruit, and toast for them and had two servings of each. The two sat and started to eat. Provenza and Rusty joined them a few minutes later.

"This place is awesome," Rusty grinned. "I'm so hungry."

"Yeah, I am too," Andy threw a glance at Provenza and then at Sharon. "I didn't have a great dinner."

"Flynn, there are the girls from last night," Provenza smiled and waved as they walked in the room. Andy turned toward them quickly and then back to Sharon quickly again.

"I'm good right here, Provenza," he said. "Go, get your breakfast so we can get on the road."

"I'm going to wish them a safe trip," Provenza said as he started walking toward the women. Andy just smiled at Sharon, and she fought back another urge to start laughing.

Provenza returned with coffee and a bowl of cereal, along with a muffin. The three all started to grimace when Rusty returned with his plate piled high, with almost everything from the breakfast area.

"I'm so mad!" Rusty exclaimed, and they all turned to him surprised. "The waffle machine is broken."

Sharon started to chuckle, "Rusty, I think you'll survive with that."

"Are you really going to eat all that?" Andy grimaced. "My stomach is turning just thinking about it."

"Well, yeah. I would have made a waffle too, and I already ate the leftover pizza from last night. You said we had a long day today," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean you need to store up food," Andy chuckled. "We will still stop for lunch and dinner; we aren't hibernating or something."

"Oh, I'll be hungry for both," he nodded as he started to eat. "So," he looked to the group, "can we eat sushi for dinner tonight?"

"Sushi?" Provenza made a face. "I'm not eating that."

Sharon grimaced too, "Rusty, we're staying in Albuquerque, New Mexico tonight. We weren't really thinking sushi, Mexican food maybe, but not sushi."

"Oh, well, maybe lunch then," he nodded.

Andy groaned, and he shook his head. "I can't even watch today. Rusty, let's save that for when we get home. There's that place near the house you like, remember? Your mom and I will eat anything else, and you can get your sushi, but please, let's save it for LA."

"Okay," he shrugged it off. "So, what's the plan for today? Can I drive again? Andy, want to ride shotgun with me?"


	65. Chapter 65

"What a day," Andy sighed as Sharon finally pulled into their hotel for the night. Finally, Albuquerque. They had made it to New Mexico, after a very long day of driving. That morning, they'd finished breakfast and were loaded up to leave by 8:30. Sharon and Andy were driving together again, as were Rusty and Provenza. The drive was a simple one, all interstate, and once they picked up I-40 in Oklahoma, they were on the same road the rest of the day. They would stay on it most of tomorrow too, one road with a straight shot to Los Angeles. The drive itself was almost 11 hours of solid driving, and with stops, they expected it to take over 12. The group had hoped to arrive around 8:30 because of the time change, but traffic issues, road construction, and other delays put them in much later. Sharon and Provenza had finished off the last leg of driving, and the group finally pulled into the hotel after 11:00 that night, all completely exhausted.

"I am so tired I'm not sure I'll even make it up to my bed," Sharon let out a long sigh as she parked the car. She looked over to Andy who was watching Provenza pull in next to them. He had a small bag containing their trash, ready to throw out when he got out of the car.

"Yeah, I'm really glad we don't have a lot to unpack," he added. "I can't believe that was such a long drive."

"Hmm, just be glad we weren't in the car with Rusty as he ate that sushi," Sharon laughed and made a face. She collected her purse and unplugged her phone which had been charging, and she nodded to Andy. The two got out of the car and found Provenza and Rusty were already out and stretching from the long day.

Andy grimaced as he caught Sharon's gaze over the top of the car. "What was that? I can't believe he decided on gas station sushi back there. What a horrible choice. I'm not a fan of eating on the road, but still, the diner pancakes we had a couple hours ago are better than that."

Sharon chuckled, and she nodded to the guys. They were pulling their bags out of the car. The four had originally hoped to make it to the hotel before eating dinner, but the road delays made that impossible. They had stopped two hours earlier for pancakes. After their long day, breakfast food seemed simple and easy. "He ate that too, so he's up to pancakes and sushi for dinner. Let's go inside. Hello, you two," Sharon called to Provenza and Rusty as she walked up to their car.

"Hey Sharon," Rusty smiled. "I'm going to ask if the hot tub is still open. It felt so good to soak in it last night. I know it's getting late, but it would be awesome tonight."

Sharon nodded, "Lieutenant, are you going to join Rusty?"

"Well, after driving the last four hours, I guess," he nodded. "Captain, do you even have to follow the rules with the speed limit? Most people go five over, even a little more, but one over? That was your best?"

Andy put his arm on his wife' shoulder, "Sharon was driving just fine, Provenza. Let's not forget some sections of the road were 75 MPH anyway. That's plenty fast enough, and it's dark too."

"Can we go inside?" Rusty asked as he waited impatiently. The others started to follow with their bags. "Andy, the lieutenant and I are going to the hot tub. Want to come?"

Andy heard Sharon let out a sigh, and without looking at her, he grinned at Rusty, "No thanks. I'm good. You two enjoy and find some lovely people to talk to tonight. I'm going to head to bed. Your mom and I were just talking about how tired we are."

"Rusty, I told Patrice I'd call her when we arrived, so I'll walk down with you, but I want to talk to her first," Provenza explained as they entered the hotel. Andy walked up to the desk.

"Hi, reservation for Flynn, two rooms," he said, and the four continued to talk while their room keys were activated.

"How is Patrice?" Sharon smiled. "I'm sure she misses you. I can't wait to spend more time with her and get to know her. I'm so excited to get home," she squealed.

"Apparently, not excited enough to drive any faster, Captain," Provenza smirked at her. "Patrice is doing well. She's fine on her own, always has been, but yes, I'll be very glad to get home tomorrow."

"So, like we're almost there," Rusty grinned. "I thought Ohio was bad-bland, boring," Rusty nodded, "but today, it was worse. The West is boring. We're almost home, though, right? We just have Arizona tomorrow and then, finally back to California."

"Yes and no," Andy grimaced as he admitted the next day's journey. "We will be home tomorrow, but we have just as long of a drive. It's just over 11 hours drive time, not to mention any road issues like today."

"Sir, we have your reservation, and we've put you all together in adjoining rooms," she smiled from the desk.

"Adjoining rooms?" Provenza grimaced. "Ahh, we're fine being across the hall. I don't even want to be next door."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry about that, but we're pretty full. There's a conference in town, and most of the rooms here are full. The adjoining rooms are very spacious, and you don't have to open the doors."

"Adjoining rooms?" Rusty asked. "I didn't know that's a thing."

Sharon covered her mouth from laughing, and she nodded to Andy who turned to the receptionist. "The rooms will be fine, thanks," he nodded to her.

"You two, behave," Provenza pointed a finger at Sharon and Andy. He turned back to Rusty, "Lucky you, Mom and Dad are just a few steps away and can tuck you in tonight."

"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Rusty fired back at Provenza. "Andy snores. You snore. It's bad enough I ever have to listen to either of you, and you're telling me with adjoining rooms, I will hear both of you. Sharon will probably stand in the doorway and watch me, wanting to make sure I'm safe. Just great. At least this way, everyone should have appropriate clothing on to sleep, right?" he looked to the adults with pleading eyes.

Sharon started laughing as they walked to the elevator. She put her arm around Rusty as Andy and Provenza walked behind them. "Rusty, thank you for bringing humor to a very long day. Go enjoy your hot tub, and then get some sleep. We're going to try and get away from here by 8:00 tomorrow so it's not so incredibly late when we get home."

"I will," he nodded. "Home. It sounds so weird, but it's even weirder it's not the condo."

"I know," Sharon shrugged at the elevator. The door opened, and Andy gestured for all of them to get on it ahead of him. Once they were inside, Sharon continued with Rusty, "You and I made a foreign place feel like home. I have no doubt you can do the same with your new room."

"We'll get it how you want it, Rusty," Andy nodded. "Don't forget I had all of your furniture put in storage, and we'll spend some time swapping out what we need to at the house. It will be a blend of all of us, and that includes your room."

"So, I can like paint it if I want?" he asked.

"Within reason," Sharon nodded. "You're not going to paint it black and turn it into a dungeon."

Rusty grinned, "Yeah, that wasn't on my list of colors. What color is it now? I forget."

"Beige," Sharon and Andy said at the same time. Rusty groaned, and Andy started to laugh. "Sorry, Kid," he shrugged. "Beige is a good neutral color. At least it's not something like pink."

Rusty grimaced as the four arrived at their rooms. Provenza and Sharon had keys and opened the doors while Andy was still talking to Rusty. "You can do whatever you want to the room, within reason," he nodded. "Go, pick out some new bedding this weekend if you want."

"Right, Flynn, because that's what he wants to do as soon as he's back in LA," Provenza rolled his eyes at him.

"What?" Andy shrugged. "It's a good idea. Kid finally is home, a new home, and let him get his room ready. Take Ricky with you," he suggested.

"Ricky, really?" Rusty groaned, and Sharon started laughing after she opened the room and walked inside. Andy followed, and the four continued talking through the open door. Sharon also opened the adjoining room, and when she saw the other side was closed, she winked at Andy and knocked on the door. Rusty fumbled with the lock and opened it. "Great, bunking with three old people," Rusty groaned. He looked to Andy again, "Ricky has horrible taste. You've said so yourself. The guy cuts his own hair, Andy. HIS OWN HAIR. No way am I letting him pick out my bedding. I'd be better to stick with the one Sharon had on it when I moved in with her."

Sharon shrugged, "Rusty, I'll be glad to help you, even Emily will this weekend. I think there's going to be a lot of change at the house. Andy and I were talking about doing the same thing in our room, new bedding."

"Captain, stop right there," Provenza held up a hand from his room, seeing as he could see right into Sharon and Andy's room. "There will be no bedding talk, at least about the bedding you and Flynn have. That hot tub is sounding better and better, Rusty," he nodded.

Sharon started to chuckle, and Andy shrugged. "Well, she's right. We're going to make plenty of changes. We have to downsize all the furniture, you know. We'll have to go through, room by room and figure out how to blend everything. Just as what's there now," he continued, "the third bedroom will have to become a bedroom again. Rusty, you can have your pick of rooms, but one will need to become a bedroom instead of an office."

"Get the room furthest from theirs," Provenza pointed at him. "Make your siblings use the other room when they are home. Stay away from them," he gestured to Sharon and Andy.

"I'm going to the pool," Rusty grimaced.

"The front desk clerk said it's open until midnight, but even then, I don't think she'll kick you out." Andy looked to Sharon, "I promise I won't let the rule-follower come down and haul you out either," he smirked.

"Watch it, Flynn," Sharon yelled from the other side of the room.

"On that note, I'm out of here," Rusty nodded and moved to his suitcase. Provenza nodded too, "Same here. I'm changing and off to the pool. I want to catch Patrice before it is too late."

Provenza grabbed his swim trunks, and with Rusty in their bathroom, he walked to Sharon and Andy's.

"Provenza, really?" Andy complained from his bag where he was going through his clothing.

"Listen, Flynn" Provenza pointed at him, "if I have to be part of the adjoining room family time, I'm using your bathroom to change."

Sharon started to laugh and then busied herself getting ready for the night. Rusty and Provenza left for the pool, leaving the two in the room. Andy walked up behind her and put his arms around her at her bag.

"Hmm," she sighed. "Finally, alone."

"That's what I was thinking. Long day," he sighed.

"Yes," she nodded. "I can't believe we'll be home tomorrow, our home," she said happily and squeezed her arms over his.

"Our house," he whispered and kissed her neck. "Our family," he kissed it again, "and our future."

She turned in his arms and smiled warmly at him, "It still seems like a dream. The long drive today, no dream, but I almost can't believe we'll be back in LA tomorrow. Before that, though," she grinned, "I did notice this room had a much larger bathroom area with a tub." She winked at Andy, as she walked away. He stood there and decided to get back at her just for the pizza the night before.

"You enjoy that," he grinned as she walked away, knowing that she assumed he'd follow her. "I think I'll check on Rusty and Provenza."

Instead of getting mad, Andy heard Sharon burst out laughing from the bathroom. He loved his wife more and more each day, and that reaction, the full-blown laughter was one of the main reasons why.

Sharon and Andy never heard Rusty and Provenza come back to the room from the pool. Later, after they finally climbed into bed, they both fell into a deep sleep, and Sharon realized just how tired she was when she woke up the next morning and saw sunlight coming into the room. She sat up quickly, pulling herself from Andy's arm wrapped around her, and she gasped.

"Andy, it's 8:15 already!" she exclaimed. Andy groaned as he started to move. Sharon jumped up and started to shake his shoulder. "Andy, we overslept. We wanted to get on the road 15 minutes ago, and we are all still sleeping."

"What?" he said groggily. He sat up, glanced at the clock, and groaned. He ran his hang through his hair. "I guess we were really tired."

Sharon moved to the doorway separating the two rooms. She chuckled to herself at the sight of both Rusty and Provenza sleeping on their sides, facing each other from their beds, and snoring. "Good morning," she called to them. "It's 8:15; we overslept."

Rusty groaned and rolled over in bed. Provenza cracked an eye and glanced toward Sharon. "Captain, I've seen enough of you in pajamas on this trip to last the rest of my life." Andy stepped up behind Sharon and put his arm on her shoulder. His hair was a tousled mess, and he shook his head at Provenza.

"Fine with me," Andy nodded. "Maybe I'll suggest Sharon wear pajamas at home all the time. If you've seen them enough, that means you won't want to stop over at the house all the time."

Sharon chuckled, "While you two discuss my home attire, I'm going to hop in the shower quickly to freshen up and get ready. I'd say our plans of getting home at a decent hour have gone out the window, but at least tonight, we'll be home."

"We took a bath last night," Andy looked to her confused.

"Andy! Really!" Rusty exclaimed loudly from his bed. He put the pillow over his head, "Need to find a happy place. Need to find a happy place."

"What?" Andy questioned and then realized he'd said 'we' in all that. "Oh," he smiled slightly and shrugged. "Well, everyone get ready. Rusty, your waffle machine is calling."

By the time they ate breakfast, collected their things, and checked out of the hotel, it was almost 10:00 before they were on the road, two hours later than what they had planned. While frustrating, the four were well rested and ready for another full day of travel. They had swapped drivers, though with Sharon and Provenza together this morning while Andy rode with Rusty. Sharon had managed that pairing, as she knew it would be good for Andy and Rusty to talk alone for a couple hours about their new living situation since they would be starting their new life later today. Andy hadn't complained, noting that he was fine riding with anyone, if it wasn't Provenza. The first day's traffic woes were still ingrained in his head.

Sharon's phone rang after they had only been on the road for about an hour. She was driving and looked to Provenza, "Do you mind if I put it on speakerphone?"

"No," he gestured, "be my guest."

Sharon nodded and answered the call, "Emily, honey," she smiled. "How are you?"

"Hi, Mom!" Emily greeted her excitedly. Sharon had texted back and forth with her two older children over the last two days, but she hadn't spoken to either during the drive. She was trying to avoid them somewhat, at last until they were in LA, and she could explain the new living arrangements as well as their new step-father. Because of that, it was easier to not talk to them right now. "I hadn't heard from you, and I was calling to see how the drive is going? I'm on my lunch break right now."

"We're doing just fine," Sharon nodded and glanced to Provenza. He was doing his best not to listen, but with the call on speaker, he could only just sit there and listen. "We got a later start this morning than we had planned. Everyone was exhausted, and the extra sleep seemed to really help."

"That's good," Emily told her. "I know that kind of driving is exhausting. Oh, I'm on speaker. Hey, Rusty," She said.

"Hello Twinkle Toes," Provenza smirked at her. "I'm riding with your mother right now."

"Oh, Lieutenant Provenza, hi," Emily said a bit surprised. "I didn't expect you in the car. I figured Mom was mainly riding with Rusty, even some with Andy, but I didn't peg you. Thanks for traveling with them. I know she was probably thrilled to see you and Andy show up at their door."

Provenza looked to Sharon with a somewhat surprised glance. Sharon and Andy had told them they were going to tell the kids in person, so he knew that, but apparently, he was surprised that Emily knew nothing about just how close Andy and Sharon had gotten.

"Well, even I have to admit it was good to see them," he chuckled.

"Mom, I'm surprised Andy and Provenza aren't riding together, but they'd probably do something stupid. Provenza and Andy in a hotel room," she chuckled as if this was the first time she'd thought of it, "oh, that's funny."

Sharon gave Provenza a pleading glance, and he just nodded as he rolled his eyes, "Flynn and I have done more traveling together than most married couples. I'll be glad to be rid of him for awhile when we get home today."

"Well, maybe I'll see you while I'm in town," she told him. "Mom, that's partly why I'm calling. I wanted to see if you are coming to the airport to get me or if I'm supposed to take an Uber or something. Thing is, Dad sent me a text and said he could pick me up and bring me to the condo if you can't."

"Your dad said that?" Sharon sighed and shook her head at Provenza. She'd fill him in on the Jack conversation from two days ago after the phone call. "Of course, I'm going to be at the airport. I wouldn't miss it. Your flight still gets in at 4:00 my time, correct?"

"Yup," Emily told her. "Good because I didn't want Dad to get me, but it would have been a preferred alternative to an Uber."

"Maybe not," Provenza grumbled.

"I'll be there," Sharon told her. "We have an appointment downtown that morning to get all the paperwork sorted out and get things squared away again with names, id cards, credit cards, all of that," she explained, "but, after that, all that is planned is to pick you up at 4:00 and Ricky at 8:00 from the airport. He's flying down after work."

"Great. I can't wait to see you. It's so exciting, Mom," she squealed. "We will have to have some girl time this weekend."

"I can't wait for that, Emily," Provenza chuckled.

"Ahh, Provenza, I've heard you have a new wife. Maybe I'll meet her soon."

"You know," Provenza pointed at the phone, even though he couldn't see Emily, "she does love the ballet. Maybe you can recommend something for me."

Sharon eyed Provenza, "You are wanting to surprise Patrice with tickets to the ballet?"

He shrugged, "I'd suggest the four of us go, but you'd actually like it, Captain," he smirked.

Sharon raised her eyebrows at the comment, and Provenza realized he'd let that slip. Before Emily could comment, he added, "Of course, I wouldn't want to do that to Rusty."

Emily just laughed, the crisis over the word 'four' avoided for the moment. Sharon tried to wrap up the conversation. "Emily, we are going to focus on driving. I love you very much and can't wait to see you."

"Me too, Mom. Love you and be safe driving. Provenza, I'll be happy to recommend a ballet for you. Have fun riding with Mom. She doesn't speed, in case you hadn't figured that out," she laughed.

"Don't remind me," he grumbled. "I followed her for four hours last night."

Sharon hung up with Emily, and she could feel Provenza staring at her. "Thank you for saving that conversation. Look, Andy and I want to tell the kids in person. We don't want to spring this on them on the phone after I haven't spoken to them for a year and a half."

"So, showing up at the airport with him and saying, 'Kids, guess what, we have a new home,' is a better option?" he asked.

Sharon shrugged, "Yes, I think it is. They know I spent all my time with Andy before all this, and while I was gone, they both stayed at his house when they came to LA. They didn't stay with Jack. They didn't have much, if any contact with Jack. They will both be fine, Ricky especially. As far as the mention of Jack," she rolled her eyes at Provenza, "he called the other day while we were driving and told me he'd done a lot of thinking while I was gone and wanted to talk," she chuckled.

Provenza just nodded and then started to chuckle, "I'm sure Flynn loved that."

"Hmm, he knows how that conversation ends," she shrugged, "so he wasn't bothered by it, more like amused."

Just take notes," he nodded. "I will want to hear that story."

The four switched cars again at lunchtime, when they ate in Flagstaff, Arizona. At this point it was mid-afternoon, and with their late breakfast and wanting to make time on the road, Flagstaff was the right choice. It put them almost five hours into their day, and honestly, with the amount of desert they had to cover, there hadn't been a lot of food options before Flagstaff.

"Well, Rusty finally got his tacos," Andy sighed as he got behind the wheel. He'd ridden with Rusty who had wanted to drive. Now, Andy and Provenza were driving. Provenza, of course, had thrown a fit the first day about driving, but much like anything else, the guy was a big softie. He didn't mind driving, after all, but he'd just wanted to give everyone a hard time. He'd told Andy he wanted to be the lead driver on this next leg of the trip.

Sharon laughed, "Lunch was good. I'm glad you found that place on your online search. I enjoyed my tacos too."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Fish tacos were good. That should hold us until we get home." He smiled and took Sharon's hand in his. "I'm so thrilled we are almost there. Seven hours or so to go, and we'll be home."

"Hmm, can we order Chinese tonight from that good place near your house?" she gave him a pleading face.

"Of course," he pulled her hand up to his face and kissed it. "Your wish is my command, Sweetheart. Rusty will go for Chinese too, oh, and by the way," he winked, "it's the Chinese place near OUR house, not my house."

Sharon grinned at him and squeezed his hand, "LA here we come."


	66. Chapter 66

It was just after 9:30 when the bright lights of the greater LA area came into view. Sharon reached over and squeezed Andy's hand. She grinned at him through the dim light of the car, and he squeezed hers back.

"Almost home," he smiled at her. She nodded, and the two lapsed back into silence as they stared into the dark. Andy soon merged onto a different road, one that would finally take them home. It felt a bit surreal to Sharon, to finally get off the road they'd been traveling for days now, to turn onto a road she knew well, a road that would take them to Andy's house, to their house.

The last few minutes of the drive seemed to lag. Sharon got more and more excited as she began to recognize familiar things. The drive was one she knew; she had spent a lot of time at Andy's house over the years, and her last visit to LA, even though she'd stayed hidden during most of it, Andy's home had begun to feel like her home. They finally turned onto Andy's street, and Sharon, who had been gripping Andy's hand tightly, pulled it away and started to cry.

"Hey, why all the tears?" Andy reached over with his free hand and wiped away the tears on the side of her face. She was doing the same to the other side of her face, and she let out a choked laugh.

"I'm sorry! I don't know why I'm crying. It just feels so good to be back here. Home," she choked out the words, and she wiped her face again. Andy, who had his hand gently on the side of her face, continued to focus on the road, but he used his hand to wipe her tears again.

"Sharon, it's understandable," Andy gave her a comforting smile. He slowed the car as he started to turn into the driveway. "We're here, Gorgeous."

Sharon giggled between her sobs, and she nodded. She wiped her face again before looking over to him, her eyes still watery, but her smile radiant.

"We made it. Home," she let out a long sigh.

"You ready?" he gestured to the door. "Patrice's car is parked on the street, so she's already here to collect Provenza. Then, it's just going to be you, me, and the kid, at least tonight. I can't promise Nicole won't pop by before the weekend."

Sharon smiled, nodded, and she reached for his hand to squeeze it. "Thank you for everything. WE did this. We got through it all and are finally home."

A knock at the window surprised both, and they jumped slightly as they turned to it. It was Rusty. Andy opened the door, and he started to get out.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever moment you're having here," Rusty gestured. "I'm sure Sharon is crying and being emotional about everything. I know how she is," he grinned, "but I really need to use the bathroom," he said as he almost hopped on one foot and then the other. Sharon and Andy started to laugh. Andy nodded, and he handed Rusty the keys.

"Help yourself. Welcome home, Rusty," he smiled as he handed over the keys.

"Yeah, I'm sure this is some big moment, but I have to go," he started to move quickly toward the door. Andy looked to Sharon who was still seated in the car, and she smiled at him and opened her door. Once they were both out of the car, they walked around to the back of it where Rusty and Provenza had parked. Provenza had driven the last leg of the drive today, stepping up to do most of the last day's drive, and he was already talking to Patrice who had walked up to the car.

Provenza kissed Patrice and pulled her into an embrace as Sharon and Andy walked up to them. "So, you can complain each time I kiss my wife, but I have to watch?" Andy teased.

Provenza, who was facing away from them, toward the street, and had Patrice pulled in for a long hug, swatted behind him at Andy. Patrice stepped back when she noted Sharon and Andy behind them.

"Patrice, I know it's been a long time, but this is Sharon," Andy gestured to her. Sharon smiled at Patrice and moved to greet her. Patrice quickly pulled her into a hug before Sharon could react any differently.

"Sharon, it's so great to finally see you again. Welcome home and congratulations! I could never put my finger on why Andy's mood improved greatly over all this time, but after I found out you two had found each other and gotten married, it all made sense," she told her. Patrice held Sharon in a warm hug, which almost surprised Sharon since the two women didn't know each other well. It was also a little surprising considering how moody Provenza was that he had such a lovely wife.

"Patrice, thank you. I'm so glad to see you again. It's been a long time, I guess the Christmas party a year and a half ago" Sharon smiled as the two women pulled apart and acknowledged each other. Andy stood behind Sharon, and Provenza stood next to Patrice. Rusty ran up to them as they were all standing there.

"Whew, much better," he grinned.

"Patrice, I'm not sure if you remember Rusty," Sharon put her arm on him and gestured to Patrice. "Rusty, I know you have heard all about Lieutenant Provenza's wife."

"Hey, yes, nice to see you again," Rusty grinned. "Thanks for letting me borrow the lieutenant for a few days. We had a good time."

"Rusty," Patrice took his hands and squeezed them, "I'm so happy to see you back here safe and sound. You've had quite the experience I've heard, and here, even now, another new home," she smiled warmly at him. "Louie is very glad you are back even if he won't admit it. The old guy has missed you very much, and he was thrilled at the opportunity to travel with Andy to Ohio."

"I wouldn't say thrilled," Provenza rolled his eyes and grumbled. Andy, who had his arm around Sharon, shook his head and laughed.

"Oh, stop hiding it," he laughed. "You couldn't wait to see Rusty, even Sharon," he nodded at him. "You also have to admit you had a good time going to the Indians game, and let's not forget all the souvenirs you bought Patrice along the way."

Patrice started to laugh too, "Well, let's get your things, Louie and get out of their hair for the night, that is, unless you want help unpacking the cars?"

"No," Andy shook his head, "we'll unpack tomorrow. We can get the basics in for tonight, the overnight bags we've been using at the hotels, but we've got all day tomorrow to start getting settled here again."

Rusty yawned and laughed at that. "Sorry, long day."

"Hmm, long few days," Sharon nodded. "It's been quite the journey."

"Sharon, when are you going to see your other kids?" Patrice asked.

Sharon's smile widened, "They are both flying in Friday. I absolutely can't wait to see them. Andy and I haven't told them we are married, so I'm a little nervous about that."

Andy kissed the side of her head, "They will be fine with it. They are just so glad you're home, and they like me-What's not to like?" he grinned and winked.

"I have a long list-" Provenza started to say and was cut off by Patrice.

"Louie, let's get your things. You and Andy can see each other later this week," Patrice winked at Sharon. She laughed.

"I've seen enough of Flynn for the whole month, maybe even the year," he grumbled.

Sharon patted his arm, "Lieutenant, thank you for everything. I will never forget your kindness."

Patrice shook her head at Sharon, "Are you still calling him by his rank? Louie, tell me you are at least calling her Sharon?"

He rolled his eyes and huffed, "We have a mutual understanding. Rank works for us."

Sharon and Andy laughed, and Sharon shrugged as she looked at Patrice, "To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought too much about it, but you are right. We weren't around each other too much socially before all this, but I think that with our new spouses that the four of us will be spending a lot of time together."

"I hope so, Sharon," Patrice smiled. "I really do. Andy, you can see Louie later this week. I'm taking him home. Sharon, once you are settled, let's do lunch, even a spa day," Patrice suggested.

"Sounds lovely," Sharon smiled.

"Thanks, Patrice," Andy gave her a quick hug. "You're a special lady. Provenza missed you; he wouldn't stop talking about you when the two of us were riding together," he chuckled.

Patrice eyed Sharon and gestured with her hand, "You let the two of them ride together in the same car?"

Sharon hummed as she started to laugh, "Briefly, yes, but they sort of learned their lesson about that," she giggled. Rusty started to laugh too.

Patrice nodded, "I'll save that story for another day. Louie, where are your things?" The group took the next 10 minutes unloading some of Rusty's car because Provenza had his things in it. That meant that most of Rusty's things made it into the house, where he had his first big decision.

"Go, pick a room, Rusty," Andy gestured as they hauled out the first two suitcases of his. Rusty looked to the house, and Andy nudged him. "Really," he nodded at Rusty, "it's your house too now. You can pick which room you'd like. Grab a bag, and I'll be in behind you."

Rusty nodded and grabbed a few things. He started to the house, and Sharon and Andy turned to say goodbye to Patrice and Provenza.

"The team is anxious to see all of you," Patrice smiled. "Julio called me earlier today, and I have the feeling they were going to do something here at the house. He might have mentioned knowing where the spare key was, so I haven't been inside to see what they did, but they miss all of you," she smiled.

"All set," Provenza walked back over to them and nodded. "Flynn, Captain," he nodded, and when Patrice rolled her eyes at him, he corrected, "Flynn, Sharon," he nodded again, "I'll talk to you later this week, and I'll see you at work on Monday morning."

"Thanks, Provenza," Andy nodded. "You know I won't be in the rest of the week, right?"

"Hence why I said Monday morning," he smirked. "I'm going to clean up the Davis mess tomorrow and Friday so hopefully the captain can get her office back." Patrice pulled at Provenza's shirt, and the two waved as they walked to her car. Andy turned to Sharon, who was standing there in the middle of the e driveway surrounded by Rusty's luggage.

"Ready?" he smiled.

"Ready," she grinned. They picked up some of the luggage and started into the house. Sharon stopped when they were in the door.

"Oh, Andy," Sharon stopped just inside the door and turned to nudge his arm. He looked up, as he was trying to haul the bags in the house. The team had been in the house, and they'd hung a sign, 'Welcome Home Captain and Rusty,' right there in Andy's house. She grinned at him, and she wiped her face.

"I have a feeling this is going to be an emotional week," he winked at her. Rusty walked out into the living room area where they were.

"Hey, so I picked a room," he nodded down the hall and continued, "this first room, right here," he nodded to the room off the living room. Your room is at the end of the hall, back of the house," he pointed out, "and I'll take this one. That gives us a room between us."

"Perfect," Andy nodded. Sharon picked up the bags, but Rusty moved quickly to help her, and they carried the luggage into what would be Rusty's room.

"See, there's already a bed in here," he explained. Sharon shook her head.

"Rusty, we can get your things out of storage. This works for now, but we'll get whatever you'd like," she told him.

He shrugged and looked at the furniture, "I kinda like this. It's like guy-like," he looked to Andy, pleading for help.

Andy jumped in, "It's only a couple years old, and it's barely been touched. I hardly ever have guests, and I originally bought this set when Nicole got married so the boys could stay with me. They've stayed here a few times, but that's really it. If you like the set, it's yours," he smiled. "We can figure out what bedroom set to put in the office later."

"Cool, thanks!" Rusty grinned. "I'll probably changed the bedding," he nodded to the Dodger blanket. Sharon laughed as they put the bags in the room.

"Not a problem, Rusty," Sharon smiled.

Andy put his arm on her, "Rusty and I'll get the few things out of your car right now. You, just check out the house, catch your breath. We won't be long."

Sharon nodded, and the guys disappeared from the room. Sharon looked around at Rusty's new room. It was a nice room, a bigger room than he'd had at either the condo or in Ohio. She moved to the closet and opened it, and again, it was large. Andy had a couple of suits hanging in it, but nothing else, so she pulled them out of the closet and walked down to the master bedroom. Sharon had been here, yes, and she knew the house, but she hadn't studied Rusty's room at all before now. Rusty would enjoy it, and as she hung up the suit on the closet door and walked back down the hall, she paused by the office and looked at it. Andy's desk was large, too big for the room with a bed in there, but they would figure it out. With Rusty wanting to keep Andy's furniture, it meant that it would be easier to move things the rest of the week. His old desk would fit in the room with all the furniture Andy had. Things would fall into place; Sharon knew it. She walked down the hall and turned into the kitchen, where she flipped on the lights. The team had left muffins on the counter, and she smiled at the gesture. There was a card too, so she leaned against the counter and opened it. "Captain, Flynn, and Rusty-We know you had a long trip. The muffins should get you started for the day. There's salad and a frozen casserole in the refrigerator for you too. Don't worry-Tao's wife made it, so it's good. We're all anxious to see you-The Team,' Sharon laughed at the comment about the casserole. She opened the refrigerator to find it had been recently stocked, at least so she suspected. There were unopened containers of milk, juice, the casserole, a salad, as well as a fruit salad. She smiled at the thought of her team, the team she couldn't wait to see either.

"Sharon, do you want all this in Andy's bedroom?" Rusty caught her gaze as he moved through the house with his arms full.

"Ahh, just the two navy blue suitcases right now, Rusty. The rest can go in the office until I unpack everything," she explained to him.

Andy walked in behind him, and he saw she had an odd expression on her face, "Everything okay?"

"Hmm?" She looked to him, realizing she'd let her mind wander. "Oh, yes, I'm so happy. The team brought over food for us-muffins, a casserole, fruit," she nodded.

"Wow, that's nice," he grinned. "As I said, I'm not the only one glad you're home," he gestured to her things. "We've got everything in for the night, and, I think I'm too exhausted to even eat."

"Well, I'm not," Rusty told them as he entered the kitchen from dropping off Sharon's things. "Andy, do you have anything to eat?"

"Help yourself, Rusty," Sharon nodded to the kitchen. "The team dropped off muffins, a fruit salad, and a casserole, but let's eat that, at least, for dinner tomorrow."

Rusty nodded and looked around the kitchen. Andy could tell he was looking for a plate, so he pointed to the right cabinet.

"Sorry, thanks," he smiled at Andy. "I know I've been in this kitchen before, but it's been awhile."

"Snoop around all you want," Andy told him. "It's your house, and I mean that."

"Okay," he said. "Ohh, I think I'll have a muffin and some fruit." While Rusty prepared his late-night feast, Sharon followed Andy down the hall to their bedroom. It had filled quickly with two of her suitcases and Andy's two small bags.

"We might need a bigger house," she chuckled at the sight. Andy sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Tomorrow, I'll clean out the closet," he told her.

"Music to my ears," she grinned. He moved over to hug her and whispered to her as he did.

"You know, you left a few things here last time. You said they were only for here," he chuckled.

"I did," she nodded in agreement. "That seems like so long ago already."

"Home at last," he kissed her head. "I'm falling asleep standing here," he yawned. "Rusty and I locked up the cars, but I'm going to go lock up the house. Maybe you can find those things you left here tomorrow?" he winked.

Sharon nodded as she laughed, "Deal. Let's get some rest."

Thursday turned out to be a very eventful day. They were busy from the moment they got up until their eyes all closed at the end of the day. The house was in turmoil, as boxes everywhere, furniture was everywhere, while they all were trying to find some semblance of normalcy before Emily and Ricky arrived Friday afternoon. Provenza had called from work telling them that the team had hoped to come over in the evening to help with everything, but they were in the middle of a case and couldn't get away. Sharon promised she'd see them all on Monday, and she, Andy, and Rusty had continued with their work. With Rusty keeping the furniture in his room, he was able to start unpacking. Soon, his room looked the best in the house, but that would change when the rest of his things arrived with the moving truck next week. He contemplated what color he wanted to paint the room, and he picked up several samples when he and Andy went to the hardware store early in the afternoon, leaving Sharon to start work in the closet. Andy had moved his suits to one side; he did have a big closet, a bonus for Sharon. Most of her things were still coming on the moving truck too, so she didn't have a lot to unpack either. She worked in the closet, figuring out some of the organization, and then she started on the dresser drawers. It was going to take some time, but they would have enough room to merge their things.

Andy and Rusty made several trips to the storage area during the day. Sharon and Andy decided to put her master bedroom set in the guest room. She really liked Andy's master bedroom set, something he'd only bought recently as well. It was a very dark wood, and it looked classy and modern. With the decision to keep that, he'd left the guest room to Sharon. She liked her set too, so Andy and Rusty made a few trips in Rusty's SUV to bring the pieces all to the house. They had plans to swap out the dining room set and add a few of Sharon's other pieces to the house. Andy had agreed that she could decorate with her artwork, but they put all that on hold. Ricky could help over the weekend, and that part wasn't the rush that the bedrooms were.

By Friday morning, the house was at least presentable for the kids. The guest room now housed Sharon's old bedroom set. Andy had kept Sharon's comforter and bedding, and she'd switched that out for the set on their bed. The master bedroom now had Andy's set with Sharon's bedding, and the guest room was the opposite. It had Sharon's bed with Andy's old bedding. It looked nice, and it looked like it belonged there. Rusty's room was coming along too, and for now, he had his old bedding on his new bed until he could figure out what he wanted. By 9:30, they were all dressed and ready to drive into LA and take care of their business.

"We need to take two cars," Sharon explained to Rusty. He eyed her. She continued, "We're dropping off my old car there, remember? Andy said he'd drive his car too so we all have a way to get home."

"So, the beige car, it's leaving us?" Rusty smiled excitedly. Sharon patted his arm.

"Don't be so excited. Let's go get our lives back," she smiled.

Over two hours later, the three were sitting in a very basic office downtown with paperwork all around them.

"So, you two got married during this?" the agent asked as he looked over their license.

"Yes, that's correct," Sharon nodded and folded her hands together. They had been over their story a few times. This particular agent was just the paper-pusher; they had already been scolded for their "careless" behavior by two other agents, but neither had really cared. They end result was that Sharon and Andy were married, and Sharon and Rusty were back home.

The agent nodded, and he looked to Andy, "Must have been a shock when you learned what you'd really gotten into here."

"Oh, well, I," Andy started to say, and he decided it wasn't really information they needed to go over with this stranger. "We're good," he nodded to the man. "We were told you could get the official documents changed to the proper name."

The agent nodded, "I can. We will process all this today. The official paperwork will take awhile in the mail, but we'll get it to you. You two are still legally married, and as of today, you can have your official identity back, Ms. Raydor."

"Sharon," she nodded to him and smiled. "As you are processing all that, can you change my last name too? I'd like to update that to my husband's name here."

The agent made a note and nodded to her, "We can do that. Now, you, young man," he turned to Rusty, "what name are you going to be using."

"Ahh, same one I had," he nodded and continued, "Russell Thomas Beck. Sharon legally adopted me, but I kept my name. Definitely glad I didn't change that to Raydor," he grinned. "Rusty Raydor sounds like a tool, and on top of that, Sharon's already changing her name. Too many Raydors and Flynns; I'll stay a Beck." He turned to Sharon and Andy and nodded to the agent, "These are some pretty great parents, though, no matter what name we all have."

It took another two hours of signing paperwork, explaining their story, turning in reimbursement receipts, and the like before the three were done at the agency building. When they left, Sharon had her old, but new driver's license in hand, along with a lot of other paperwork. Other official documents would be coming. She also had all her credit cards and identifying items from her past. She and Andy would sort out their financial things later. All that mattered now was that she was once again, legally, Sharon. With her newly updated name, she'd decided to keep Raydor too, mainly for work, so her name now read, Sharon Raydor Flynn, and they were both happy with that.

"I'm starving," Andy clapped his hands together as the three got off the elevator in the parking garage. "Let's find somewhere to sit down and eat."

"No arguments from me," Sharon smiled. "I can't tell you what a relief that is to have all that done and behind us. I'll be so glad to get the rest of the paperwork in the mail."

"It's cool they could update your driver's license there, Sharon," Rusty smiled. "Every now and then, the government does something right." The three chuckled at that, and they made their way to Andy's car. Once they were situated, they briefly discussed lunch options before Andy suggested they go to Sharon's, and really his too, favorite place by the beach for a bite to eat. They had time before Emily's flight, and it seemed silly to drive all the way home when they were closer to the airport now.

"Hmm, seafood sounds delightful," Sharon sighed as she sunk into the seat and relaxed. "Honestly, after all that, anything sounds wonderful."

"I wish I would have recorded the agents telling you two your broke the rules," Rusty started to chuckle. "Oh, man, that was funny. You got a lecture and all, not that they could do anything about it. Andy, I think they were thinking about hiring you to come work for them with your detective skills at tracking us down. I can't wait to tell the lieutenant and the rest of the team," he sat back and laughed.

Sharon turned and glared at him, and Andy caught his gaze in the rearview mirror. He just shook his head at Rusty. He then changed his stance and grinned at Sharon. "Rusty has a point," he shrugged. "That would have been good to get on video, Captain Raydor breaking the rules," he started to laugh too.

"Right?" Rusty encouraged him. "Sharon, you're so big on the rules, and you're one of the first to break them when you need them to go your way."

Sharon crossed her arms at the guys as she turned sideways in her seat. She pursed her lips, and she flashed a fake smile at both. "I believe you both benefited from any rule breaking."

"Oh, no complaints here," Andy's eyes grew wide, and he continued to laugh as he drove. Sharon turned to Rusty.

"See, verdict is still out. You got in trouble for breaking the rules and contacting Andy, as well as not telling anyone he was visiting all the time. We won't even talk about how irritated the one guy was when he heard you two got married in the middle of this mess. I don't see how I benefited from that. I got an Andy, and meh," he shrugged, "verdict is still out."

At that, Sharon burst out laughing, and Andy's jaw dropped as he turned to Rusty, still while trying to focus on driving. "Let's talk chess, shall we? Who is the guy who always plays chess with you? Let's not forget I helped you in the yard many times, and now that we're home with a nice yard that needs to be mowed 12 months of the year practically," he grinned at Rusty, "I think you should take that on, you know, since I'm old and all, as you keep mentioning."

Sharon was laughing so hard, she reached over and held onto Andy's arm. Rusty sat there, a stunned expression on his face, and he turned to the window. "How much longer until the reinforcements arrive? I think I'm in need of backup."

A few minutes later, the three pulled into the seafood restaurant parking lot. It was on the beach, an old favorite of Sharon's. She'd taken Andy there long ago when they started spending more and more time together, and it had quickly become THEIR favorite seafood place. It was small, yet quaint. The food was fantastic, and it was bustling still even at the late lunch hour. It wasn't far from downtown, so it was frequented by many different professionals. It only took a few minutes until they were seated, a table even by the windows with a view of the water.

"Oh, it's so nice to be here," Sharon sighed as she looked out the window. She and Andy were seated in a booth together facing Rusty, and she started to study the menu, one she really knew by heart. Rusty looked around; he had only been here once or twice. He wasn't a huge fan of seafood, mainly because he hadn't eaten it much growing up, and then after Sharon had started coming with Andy, it had taken the pressure off Rusty having to come with Sharon.

"Hey, even I'm excited to be here with that view," Rusty pointed toward the water. We could be back in Ohio where I'm sure it's a grew view of the fields, but nothing like this."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Andy sighed and put down his menu. He shook his head and looked to Sharon. She followed his gaze, and her eyes grew wide.

"Of all the people," she groaned. "Jack, really? He's here."

Andy eyed Sharon, "I didn't think you'd brought Jack here before. I thought this was our place."

"I never came here with Jack. I found this place when the kids were young. Emily especially loves it, and I'm guessing she's mentioned it before to Jack or even come here with him herself, although," Sharon shook her head one way and then another, "that would mean Jack actually did something for his children, and that's not believable."

"Who is that lady he's brought with him?" Rusty made a face as the three watched them across the restaurant. Jack was all smiles and seating a woman, a much younger woman, at the table.

"I'd really like to say it's work-related, but doubtful," Sharon sighed. It was almost as if Jack knew he was being discussed because at that moment, he looked around the restaurant and locked eyes with Sharon. His expression changed, and he leaned down to the woman, said something, and then he started toward their table.

"Oh, here he comes," Sharon sighed. She reached for Andy's hand, which was in his lap, and she squeezed it, almost bracing for impact.

"I almost can't believe it," Jack flashed a smile and a chuckle as he walked up to the table. "Sha-ron, you're really here, back in LA."

"Hmm, hello, Jack," she nodded politely.

"You're looking well, really well," he nodded. "Your hair is different."

"Shorter," Sharon admitted, keeping her answers to a minimum.

"Well, it's a good look, a very good look, not that you ever looked bad a day in your life. Wow, I've missed you," he said, pampering her with compliments.

"It's good to be home," Sharon said dryly, ignoring Jack's comments.

"Ahh, Rusty, young lad," Jack patted him on the shoulder. "Good to see you; it's been a long time. I was really worried about you."

"Hey, Jack," Rusty looked at him, not believing a word out of Jack's mouth. "I'm surprised you are one of the first people to run into here in LA."

"Flynn," Jack rolled his eyes. "Didn't I hear that you rescued the damsel here? After all that driving, aren't you needed back at work? No surprise one of the LAPD idiots is taking half the day to go to lunch."

"Jack," Andy said crisply, and he was about to say more, but he felt Sharon's hand squeeze his hand. "My days off are none of your business."

Jack ignored Andy and turned his attention back to Sharon, "Sha-ron, I have a business meeting now, a new client," he gestured to the young woman. "I'd love to follow you to the airport to pick up Emily later today. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see both her parents there. Then, maybe you and I can take Emily to dinner?" He looked to Rusty, "Nothing personal, Rusty, just wanting some family time."

"Oh, I'm enjoying my family time, Jack," Rusty flashed a grin at him. "It's only going to get more interesting as the day progresses. Families are just so," he shrugged, "unique and even surprising."

Jack gave Rusty an odd look, and he looked back to Sharon for an answer. "Jack, as I said, you are welcome to call Emily and Ricky to see them this weekend. I won't and can't stop you from doing that. She asked that I be at the airport, and I'll be there today. Considering you've had the last year and a half to see her and I haven't had that opportunity, I'd suggest you allow me this tonight."

He frowned at her, "What about dinner? We could still meet, you, Emily, Ricky, and me for dinner later. Come on, Sha-ron-I know you don't have food at the house yet. You just got back. I'm sure Rusty can find something to do, even go and hang out with Flynn here seeing as he's already taking you two out to lunch."

"Hmm, see, the kitchen is fully stocked. Shopping was done last evening, so even that argument won't stick. I said it before, and I'll say it again, call the kids to make any plans," Sharon said sternly.

Jack sighed and glanced to Rusty, as if he'd get any help from him. Rusty flashed a smile at Andy and then looked to Jack, "So, Jack, ever been to Ohio?"

Jack looked confused, "Ohio, no, why? Sure, I heard that's where you were living."

"Yeah," Rusty nodded, "it was pretty dull, the scenery at least, but we had great friends there. People around us just seemed genuine and real, you know, so unlike here."

Jack rolled his eyes at Rusty and turned to Andy, "Flynn, what's your deal? I don't' think you've ever been this quiet. Tired from your travels? I should have known you'd be all over my wife the minute the federal government released her whereabouts."

"Jack," Andy grinned at him, a grin so fakes it made the Joker's smile look real, "so nice to see you. I've got nothing to say to you. I'm pretty secure with things right now. I'm sure you're anxious to see your kids, so do as Sharon asked and leave them alone tonight. Feel free to make arrangements with them tomorrow."

He scowled at Andy, and he looked at Sharon, "It's really good to see you. We need to talk and soon. I'd say now, but I do need to speak with my client. Maybe we can even get dinner at a place nicer than this next week?" he offered. "Sometimes, it takes losing what is yours to realize just what you've lost," he said while glaring at Andy. Andy looked away to not get into it with Jack.

"Jack, call the kids. Enjoy your lunch," she nodded as she dismissed him. He gave a small wave, and he started back to his table.

"Yup, we're home, good old home sweet home," Rusty smiled.


	67. Chapter 67

"Any update?" Andy strolled up to Sharon as she stared at the board. The arrivals board constantly updated, but for some reason, the flight from New York, Emily's flight, still had the "DELAYED" notation next to it.

"No," she frowned. "I don't understand the problem. It should be here; it left on time, and the only thing that makes sense is just heavy air traffic here around LA." Andy nodded and looked around at the airport. They were waiting at the security area, the first place Sharon could get a glimpse of Emily, and she was growing more and more impatient by the minute.

"How about something to drink?" Andy asked, as he gestured to the coffee shop nearby.

"Where's Rusty?" she asked as she looked around, realizing her youngest had disappeared.

"Oh, he's there in the gift shop area," Andy gestured. "I just came from there. He was still reading the tabloid magazines," Andy rolled his eyes. "About that drink offer?"

"Sorry," Sharon gave him a sympathetic smile. "Something to drink sounds great. Thank you," she squeezed his arm and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I'm not trying to ignore you; I'm just excited to see Emily. If this delay lasts much longer, Ricky will arrive first."

Andy winked at her as he pulled her into his side and kissed her head, "I know, and I never for a second thought you were ignoring me. That, you'll save for after the kids get here," he smirked and jumped away from her quickly before she could smack at him. He grinned and waved as he walked toward the coffee shop to get them all something to drink.

Sharon continued to study the board, and she sighed, as once again, there was no change. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she looked, and the "DELAYED" was taken off the board. The whole flight had nothing next to it, no notation, nothing. She looked to Andy, noting he was in line, and then she looked toward the other gift shop and spotted Rusty. Neither were in her near panicked state, but neither knew the flight now had no information whatsoever posted for it. Sharon was weighing her options and about ready to flag down one of the airline reps to find out the problem. She didn't want to leave her post, but decided she'd see if Andy would do that for her when she returned.

Andy had been great all day, a real rock to her when she had needed it. The morning had been full of their paperwork, and then her sweet husband had taken her to her favorite lunch spot, of course, unknowing they would run into Jack. That had been stressful, yet particularly funny too, as Jack didn't know their secret yet, and he continued to make himself look more and more like an idiot with his attempts to win back Sharon. Sharon, Andy, and Rusty had enjoyed a nice, leisurely lunch, making sure not to engage any further with Jack. Keeping their rings out of sight had been a very forced practice, but they'd done it at lunch. Jack had no clue about their wedded bliss, and they were looking forward now to sharing the news, of course, after the kids had been told first.

"Mom!" Sharon's head flew up at the sound of her oldest, and Sharon's surprised expression was evident at seeing Emily come flying up to her. "Mom!' Emily squealed again as she flung her arms around Sharon.

"Oh, my goodness! You are finally here!" Sharon squealed as she pulled Emily into a tight hug. "My baby, oh, I've missed you so much."

"Mom, I'm so glad to see you," Emily said, laughing as tears formed on her face. Sharon pulled back to look at her, and she wiped the tear from Emily's face. Emily let out a nervous laugh and a shrug. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, more than you know," Sharon gave her a watery smile and a small, nervous laugh.

"Hey, hey, the big sis is here," the two turned at the sound of Rusty's voice. "Sorry, I knew better than to interrupt that moment," he gestured to the two women." I was just reading all the tabloids and saw Emily almost take out Sharon with her full-on tackle. See, Sharon, I've learned about football. I know a tackle when I see one."

Emily and Sharon laughed, and Emily turned to Rusty, "Rusty, it's great to see you too." She and Rusty embraced quickly, and he nodded.

"Thanks for letting me steal your mom for a year and a half," he nodded to her.

Emily raised her eyebrows at Sharon, and Sharon turned to Rusty, almost horrified, "Her mom? Rusty, you are both my children. I hope, by now, you realize that."

"Trouble in paradise?" Emily teased. "Rusty are you ready to ditch our family already? A year and a half with Mom alone, and you're giving up? Man, I would hate to see what you'd do with Ricky that long."

"Sorry," Rusty sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. I guess I just meant, sorry I pulled Sharon away, but thanks for, I guess, understanding?" He looked to her with it as almost a question.

"Rusty, let's just enjoy each other," Sharon gave him a nod and his shoulder a squeeze. She turned to Emily, "What was going on with your flight? I've been checking the board here," she gestured to the arrivals information. "It was over an hour and a half late," she said looking to her watch, "now, we're at two hours."

"Glued to the spot," Rusty interjected with a huge grin. "She hasn't moved an inch. I've kept my eye on her, and if anything, I could tell she was growing more and more impatient. She looked like she was starting to panic."

"I don't panic," Sharon flashed him a big smile.

"True," Rusty nodded. "I guess the correct term is freak out," he grinned at Emily. "Sharon was starting to freak out."

"I hope I guessed correctly on the drinks," another voice chimed in as they turned toward the source.

"Andy!" Emily smiled brightly when she saw him walking up to them with four drinks in a carrying caddy. "I had no idea you'd be here! What a great surprise!" she smiled brightly as she looked at Andy and then back to Sharon. Emily tried to give Sharon a private glance, but Sharon continued to smile brightly at Andy, very much aware of the stare she was receiving from Emily. Emily looked back to him.

"Hey Twink," Andy grinned at her as he winked. Andy pulled her into a hug with his free hand. He'd started calling Emily 'Twink' as his thing for her, a shortened version of 'Twinkle Toes,' and he'd told Sharon about it just recently when the name had slipped out. Sharon had almost started to cry with the admission, as she knew Andy didn't have special names for everyone. He called her 'Sweetheart' or 'Babe,' he called Nicole, 'Nic,' or 'Sassy,' and he was known to call Rusty, 'Kid,' or 'Beck'em' all as terms of endearment, but he didn't have a lot of other nicknames. 'Twink' was a new one, and Sharon loved that Andy had formed a special relationship with Emily while she and Rusty had been away. It had been one very good thing to come out of her ordeal. Sharon smiled as Andy pulled her into a hug, being very careful with the tray of drinks he was still holding.

"Mom, this is a surprise!" Emily exclaimed when Andy stepped back. He started to pull the drinks out, while Rusty chuckled to himself and shook his head. He busied himself helping Andy.

"Rusty, here's your iced mocha thing," he said handing him a drink. "Sharon, I got you tea since you had two cups of coffee already today while doing all that paperwork this morning," he said as he continued to hand out the drinks. Emily eyed him as he acted very nonchalant with all of them and also noted he knew her mom's movements for the day. "Twink, I got you tea like your mom. I hope that's okay, but I know you like a lot of the same teas. I wasn't going to order you a drink seeing as your flight was listed as being delayed, but I saw this tiny thing run by while I was waiting in line, and I knew it had to be you," he grinned.

Emily just smiled as she accepted the tea. She tried to eye her mom, but she seemed pretty calm and well, happy to see Emily.

"Ahh, yes, the flight," Sharon remembered what she'd been trying to ask Emily and pried her eyes from Andy. "What happened with your flight? It showed delayed for quite some time, and then the flight completely disappeared off the board."

"Right," Emily rolled her eyes. "We circled forever, so much that I was afraid they were going to divert us. Then, we landed, and we sat on the runway for almost another 20 minutes while they waited for a gate. It's weird they listed it as delayed," she gave a questioning glance to the three of them. "I'm sure they were trying to figure out exactly what was going on with us, and maybe that's why it just disappeared off the screen."

"At least you didn't crash," Rusty pointed out to her.

"Rusty!" Sharon sighed, and Andy rolled his eyes at him. Emily caught the scolding he received from both and just chuckled.

"Always trying to be such the comedian," Andy grumbled. He gave Rusty a disapproving glance.

"What?" Rusty asked. "Come on," he nodded toward his parents and continued, "you both know you were thinking the same thing."

"So, should we go to baggage claim?" Sharon asked, trying to change the subject and get out of the airport. She threw a glare at Rusty. He just shrugged.

"Ahh, sure," Emily nodded, looking between everyone, but she gave Sharon an odd look before they started walking. "Mom, what's going on? " she asked, looking between all of them, aware she was not clued in to some sort of secret.

Rusty just chuckled and shook his head. He tried to focus on sipping his drink. Andy tilted his head toward Sharon, and after she caught his glance, she looked to Emily, her eyes now sparkling.

"Well," Sharon continued to smile as she reached over and squeezed Emily's arm, "I have big news," she nodded. "We have big news," she corrected herself as she gestured to Andy. "Andy and I are married," she smiled, a giddy expression on her face.

"Shut up!" Emily squealed. "What? When did that happen?" her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. Her eyes then immediately went to Sharon's hand, where she pulled on it to inspect her ring. "Oh, seriously! You did get married?" her mouth dropped open, and she looked up to Andy and then to his hand too, where Andy had been holding the drinks, and she grabbed at his hand, now holding both hands in hers. "I'm speechless! Wait! You got married without Ricky and me here? When? Yesterday? You just got back!"

Sharon took a deep breath, and she looked at her daughter. She pulled her hand from Emily and reached for her shoulder, "I was hoping we would get to this in the car, but well, we're here in the airport," she raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Yes, we got married. I'm sorry you weren't there, but it wasn't a recent development."

"Huh?" she asked, looking at the two of them. "I'm lost."

"Well, that's nothing new," Rusty chuckled as his sister glared at him for the dig.

"Rusty," Andy sighed and shook his head. Andy turned to Emily, "I may have found your mom and Rusty while they were gone."

"Wait, may have found them? What's going on?" she asked.

"Let's go sit in the coffee shop a moment," Sharon nodded to the seating area. The group nodded, except for the stunned Emily, and they all walked to the chairs to sit. Andy held the chairs for Sharon and Emily, and once the four were seated, Andy next to Sharon with his arm on the back of the chair, Emily next to Sharon, and then Rusty next to Andy at a circular table, Sharon continued. "Yes, Andy found us in Ohio. It's a long story, but let's just say he's an even better detective than I could have imagined."

"You remember the gift you got in the mail?" Andy asked her.

"Yes," she nodded. "I called you about it."

"Right," he told her. "I worked for a very long time to track it down. I figured Sharon was sending a clue, and she was."

"The department store!" Emily's eyes grew wide as she realized it now. "You worked at that department store."

"I did," Sharon smiled. "I never expected Andy would find us, really I didn't. That was the amazing, wonderful part," she reached over with her hand and squeezed Andy's knee. "He found us, and he's been sneaking away to visit Rusty and me for well over a year."

"A year! Andy! You could have told me!" she exclaimed. "Wait, does Ricky know?"

"No," Sharon shook her head. "Neither of you knew."

"I wanted to keep it that way," Andy told her and corrected himself. "We wanted to keep it that way. Your mother and I discussed this many times. We weren't worried about you knowing, but we needed you two to be safe. Telling you put both of you in danger as well as Sharon. I hope you don't hate me for keeping it from you, but we've tried to keep all of you safe."

Emily frowned, but she remained quiet as she tried to process everything. "So, you somehow are now married? You said it didn't just happen, right?"

Sharon smiled brightly, "That's right. We got married last December when Andy came to visit. We fell in love through all this, and neither of us wanted to be without the other."

"Ironically, though, we have had to live without the other around, "Andy chuckled. "Oh, and for the record," he winked at Sharon, "I was in love with your mother long before all this. She might have been the one to finally fall for a big idiot like me, but I was a goner long ago."

Emily bit her lip as she looked between her mom and now her stepfather. Sharon had her hand still resting on Andy's knee, and he had his arm behind Sharon on her chair. "I can't believe it. I am speechless, but I am going to need to hear every word of this. Mom, you and I have talked, and you still didn't tell me!" she exclaimed, almost giddy with happiness.

"I know!" Sharon exclaimed too. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you, you and Ricky both, but Andy and I wanted to do it in person. It's not exactly something you just share on the phone."

Emily let out a loud laugh, as she shook her head, "My mom in witness protection got married," she nodded. "Yeah, not the regular conversation."

Andy leaned forward toward Emily, "I hope you aren't upset with us. We've not wanted that at all."

Emily just nodded, "I am trying to understand it all. I'm really glad you found Mom and Rusty even if you couldn't tell us. Rusty," she turned to him, and he grimaced at her glare, "I'm expecting a full report."

"Not full," he shook his head. "There are things you don't want to know, things I can't unhear."

"Rusty!" Sharon and Andy exclaimed in unison.

"Oh, now that's funny," Emily pointed at Rusty. "You go away for a year, just with Mom, at least we all think. You come home with two of them," she shook her head. "Ricky isn't going to believe this."

"We are hoping you won't just blurt it out as soon as he's off the plane," Sharon raised an eyebrow at Emily.

"I won't; I promise," she chuckled. "Wait," she realized she still had many questions, "what about the condo?"

"Oh," Sharon bit her lip, "I hope you aren't mad, but I did move into the condo after you moved to New York, so it's never been your forever home or anything. The condo is still rented, but that works fine because we are living at Andy's house."

"Our house," Andy corrected her as he squeezed her shoulder.

Emily looked to Rusty, and he shrugged, "I was sworn to secrecy."

"Dork! Siblings don't keep secrets! You have a lot to learn," she smirked at him. She looked back to Sharon and Andy, "The house is great," she smiled. "Andy, I have always loved your house. It's always felt so warm. Mom, the condo had the best view in the city, but as long as you are happy, I'm good."

"I'm happy," Sharon said, tears in her eyes, "very, very happy. I'm the happiest I've ever been."

"Oh, Mom," Emily reached over to hug her. "Congratulations," she rolled her eyes, "six months later. I can't believe you are married."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded as the two pulled apart. Andy and Rusty just studied their drinks to try and give the two a bit of privacy. "It was quite the transition from being alone, so long. Andy makes me happy," she winked at him.

"Em, be glad you missed some of it," Rusty nodded as he slouched in his chair.

"Pictures?" Emily asked. "Were you allowed to take pictures? Andy, you were allowed to do this with the program?"

Andy chuckled, "There's so much to explain, but let's wait until we get home. Yes, though, we have a lot of pictures. Should we get your bag before it goes to the lost and found area?"

"Right!" Emily's eyes grew wide, and the four stood. She linked her arm in Sharon's. "Mom, you are a sneaky one," she laughed.

Sharon laughed too, "Oh, it's so good to see you. I can't tell you how much I want to catch up with you."

Andy glanced to Rusty, "What did I tell you? We're now chopped liver," he winked, and Rusty grinned. Sharon turned her head and glared at Andy. He winked at her, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, Mom," Emily put her hand to her mouth, "does Dad know yet?"

Andy groaned, and Sharon tried to hold back her chuckle, "No, we wanted to tell you first, but even that was a struggle. We ran into him at lunch."

Emily's eyes grew wide, and Rusty jumped in, "I've requested a front row seat when Jack is told," he grinned. "That will be awesome."

The four made their way downstairs to the baggage claim area, and because of the timing, Emily's bag didn't take too long. After all of that, though, they'd been at the airport almost three hours. Sharon glanced at her watch, and she turned to Andy.

"With Emily's delay and all, we only have about a half hour now until Ricky gets here," she told him. He nodded.

"We wait. We aren't going to leave one of the kids stranded at the airport," he winked. "Rusty, finish reading those tabloids yet?" he smirked. Rusty threw him a roll of the eyes, and Emily just laughed.

"I'm so glad about all of this," she chuckled. "Wow, what a year it has been."

Ricky's flight kept them from a long wait; it arrived early. The four had just enough time to take the escalator upstairs to the arrivals area, and as they were scanning the board, Sharon clapped her hands. "His flight is early! It says it's already landed!"

Emily excused herself to use the restroom, while Rusty walked back to the gift shop. Andy was left with Sharon, and the two walked to a set of chairs to sit and wait. "That went pretty well," he gave her a small shrug.

"It did," she smiled. "I'm so happy! The kids are here for a few days," she gushed. "Thank you for all of this," she leaned in to kiss him.

"Ahh, guys," Rusty called to them, and they paused, almost in mid-kiss to look up at him. They found Rusty grimacing as he stood next to a grinning Ricky.

"Well, I see Ohio has helped," Ricky chuckled. Sharon jumped up, almost kneeing Andy in the process. "Ricky! You're early! I didn't expect you for at least another five minutes."

"Apparently," he nodded as he gestured to Andy, "you just like to make out in airports with random men. It's a good thing I came when I did. Should I give you two a minute? Need a hotel by the airport? Andy, nice job finally making your move," he nodded. "Little bro, thanks for at least being the only person to keep an eye out for me," he smirked, "but we could give them more time for that," he gestured with his hand.

"Man, you have no idea," Rusty looked to Ricky and chuckled. Ricky looked to him with a confused expression and then back to Sharon. She was busy giving Rusty the eye, so Ricky turned back to Rusty.

"Dude, Bro Code. What's the 411?" he asked."There's something going on here. Mom doesn't just kiss guys in public."

"Oh, they're married," Rusty said, matter of fact and nodded. "Surprise. Mom and the stepdad came to get you."

Ricky turned to them, Sharon almost horrified, and Andy shaking his head at Rusty. Ricky smiled and shrugged, "Cool. I can't wait for this story. It's great to be home. Mom, it's about time."


	68. Chapter 68

"Why should I sit in the middle? I think Emily should; she's smaller than I am," Rusty complained as the five stood at the car. Andy and Ricky were loading the bags, while Emily was rolling her eyes listening to Rusty stand there and complain to Sharon and anyone else who would listen. Sharon was standing next to Andy as he put the bags in the car, smiling at the sight of her whole family finally together.

"I'm not sitting in the middle, no way," Ricky shook his head as he handed Andy the last bag. Andy put it in the trunk and closed it while Ricky continued. "I'm way too tall for the middle. I've never had to sit in the middle. There's never been a reason."

"Well, I'm the oldest, and I'm not sitting there either," Emily crossed her arms. "Plus, the last place I want to be is sandwiched between my two brothers. I just spent almost six hours on a plane sandwiched between people. I deserve the window seat."

Quickly, Emily and Ricky looked and each other and scrambled to the car. Ricky ran to the passenger side and hopped in behind where Sharon was going to sit. He had assessed the situation and decided that there would be more leg room behind Sharon, as his new stepfather was quite a bit taller, almost the same height he was. He grinned as he slammed the door and pushed down the lock. His final dig was a little wave to the four of them still standing in the parking lot. Emily stomped, knowing if she got in next, she was stuck in the middle.

"Ricky, honestly," Sharon sighed as she shook her head. She rolled her eyes at Andy.

"No way I'm getting in next," Rusty crossed his arms. He looked to Emily, "I was just locked away in witness protection for a year and a half. I shouldn't have to sit in the middle."

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes and continued, "that won't work on me. You were hidden away with Mom and apparently Andy whenever he could get there. You had a pretty sweet situation even with a serial killer after you. Mom," Emily turned toward Sharon who was still next to Andy, now with her arms crossed listening to the nonsense, "I was without you for a year and a half."

"Rusty," Andy said somewhat sternly, "get in the car next to your brother. Be a gentleman and let you sister have the window seat." He looked to Sharon, and the silent look they shared apparently gave instruction too. Both he and Sharon moved toward the car, Andy walking to open Sharon's door. He glared at Ricky who was still sitting in the car, now his seatbelt on, waiting for the rest of the family to file in as well. He gave a grin and another wave to Andy and Sharon. Andy rolled his eyes at Sharon as she started to climb into her seat.

"How old are the kids?" Andy sarcastically asked as Sharon got in the car.

She put her hand on his and started to chuckle, "Hmm, they sound about 10, at least Emily and Rusty. Ricky is acting like he's five," she gave a nod to him in the backseat. He continued to look around. Andy shook his head at him and shut Sharon's door for her. He walked around the front of the car to get in and glared at Emily and Rusty who were still standing next to the rear door, both with arms crossed. He grumbled to himself as he got in and started the car.

Andy gave a disapproving frown toward Ricky, who continued to grin at the situation. He looked to Sharon, "When do they all go back to their homes?"

Sharon burst out laughing, "I have a better idea. We could come up with some chores for them at home. With all the moving going on right now, I'm sure we could come up with a list for them."

Andy nodded in agreement, "I like the way you think. Let's see who is the holdout with this," he said as he put the car into reverse. He slowly started to back out of the space, and suddenly, Rusty was knocking on the window. Andy had locked the doors as he started to move.

"I knew Rusty would cave," Ricky grinned. Andy and Sharon both turned to him with an annoyed frown. He pursed his lips and looked out the window to ignore them. Quickly, Rusty and then Emily shuffled into the car. Not another word was said as the two buckled up, and Andy gave Sharon a single nod as he continued to back out of the space. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing, and the only thing heard in the car was a silent huff from the backseat.

"We've never had this problem before," Ricky broke the silence once they were out of the airport parking area. "First, we just had the three of us, and there was plenty of room in the car. Then, Mom added Rusty, and even when Andy was around some then too, we always drove two cars or met wherever we were going. We've never had five of us in the car," he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, it's been pretty nice with just the three of us," Rusty admitted. "I've had tons of room in the backseat until you two had to come and make sure Sharon was home in one piece."

"It's a good thing we did!" Emily exclaimed. "We come home to a, well, new home! We get a new house and a stepdad. Mom, I'm curious," she leaned forward slightly in the seat and then elbowed Rusty when he nudged her to move over, "how long before you would have told us you had gotten married if we hadn't come home?"

Sharon looked to Emily, almost horrified. "We haven't been trying to keep a secret. We wanted to tell you in person. Can we please just enjoy being together? We're all together. It's been a year and a half, and we are together. Let's enjoy this family time. We have some adjustments to make, yes," she nodded and then she smiled at Andy. "I am so over the moon happy with everything right now," her eyes sparkled, "and I don't want to ruin any of this weekend. I just want to enjoy my family, all of you."

The kids all frowned and looked away, realizing they'd been scolded in a very unique way. The car drifted into silence for a few minutes as Andy tried to maneuver LA traffic.

"Come on, you morons! Hit the gas!" Andy yelled a few minutes later when they were stuck behind someone going 25 in a 45 mph zone. "Oh great," he smacked the steering wheel as they made a turn, still behind the slow car, "road construction."

"Hmm, perhaps you should take an alternate route?"Sharon teased as she looked to Andy. He glared at her and shook his head. Rusty started to laugh.

"Good one, Sharon," he chuckled.

"Care to let us in on your parents' banter there, bro?" Ricky leaned toward him, and Rusty rolled his eyes.

"My parents?" Rusty asked.

"Yeah," Ricky gestured to the front seats, "Mom, Dad, Rusty, the happy family tucked away in Ohio. I can't believe there's so much to this story. I can't wait to tell Dad," he chuckled, and then clarified, "I mean, my dad."

"Ricky," Sharon sighed and shook her head from the front seat. Andy looked at her, and then he looked back quickly at the kids, trying to come up with a new conversation.

"Perhaps we should get a minivan," Andy teased, nodding to Sharon. "Three rows of seats, automatic doors," he shrugged again. "Great for families with toddlers," he gestured to the kids, "like in this situation."

"That's not a bad idea," Sharon tapped her hand to her mouth. "They really are all fun together in closed quarters," she said sarcastically.

"Imagine what it will be like at the house? So, we've tried to make things feel at home for you guys at the house," Andy said, and he looked to Sharon.

"Rusty, is your room next to your mom and dad?" Ricky teased. "Oh, this is going to be fun. Andy, I'm really glad you stepped up and married Mom, I am, but I'm going to love teasing Rusty about this, the fact that he's smack in the middle of a regular family now." He patted Rusty on the shoulder, and Rusty smacked it away. Quickly, the two were smacking at each other in the car.

"Boys!" Sharon exclaimed. "Stop it right now."

"Andy, I know we've been to the house before," Emily tried to ignore her brothers, "but how many bedrooms do you have?"

"Three," he nodded. "I'm giving you the spare," he flashed a grin at her. "It seems the boys have missed each other so much they need more time together. We'll let them share."

Sharon tired to hold back her laugh again, failing this time, as she started to laugh out loud. "Of all the ways I saw this reunion playing out, this was not it."

"Wait until Nicole and Dean come over tomorrow with the boys," Andy grimaced as he told the family.

"Nicole?" Emily asked. "I haven't seen her in forever. "The boys are always so cute on Facebook."

Sharon turned, "You are friends with Nicole on Facebook?"

"Sure," Emily grinned. "Mom, you might have been the last one clued in to your own relationship, but the rest of us have been bonding for awhile. So, what's going on tomorrow?"

"Ahh, we talked about a get-together," Andy explained. "We can grill out, order pizzas, whatever, but we thought it was good to get most of the family together. Nate won't be coming. That's still a work in progress," he rolled his eyes as he met Sharon's glance. She patted his arm as he continued to drive.

"I know this is a lot, to get off the plane and find out all this," she gestured. "Not only have I been gone a long time, you find out I'm married, have a new home, and well," she threw up her hands, "it's a lot."

"Mom, we are happy for you," Ricky reached up and squeezed her shoulder. "We're happy for both of you. Andy, Em and I have always liked you, and if there is anyone I wanted to see Mom locking lips with in the airport, well, I'm glad it was you."

"Gross, can we not discuss that? I see it plenty," Rusty looked to him.

"Oh, I'll keep bringing it up," Ricky nodded. "You neglected to tell us critical information about them. Not cool. No call with the 'Hey, Ricky, funny thing while we were gone. Mom got married,' simple information, Rusty," Ricky nodded.

Rusty turned to Emily, a pleading glance, "Don't look at me. I'm with him. Mom doesn't up and marry her lieutenants just any day, as we know. Plus, last we hear, they aren't dating," she rolled her eyes, "and now, surprise! We're way beyond friends with benefits," she teased.

"Emily!" Sharon exclaimed and slumped in her seat with a loud sigh. Andy patted her hand and turned off the main road onto his street.

"Oh, I experienced the friends with benefits in Ohio, more even," Rusty grimaced. "See, that's why I shouldn't be sitting in the middle. I have information you both want."

"I promise you," Ricky shook his head, "I don't want to know that. I just want to know about Andy finding you guys, and really, anything just about living there. Mom, you mentioned your church there was a big help."

"It was," Sharon turned and smiled. "It really was, and we made some wonderful friends. I hope they will visit sometime soon. It was quite lonely before I met some friends and before Andy found us, but I felt like I started living again when he found us. I was able to stay connected to both of you, even though you didn't know it," she smiled. "I knew everything going on with you two, Nicole and Nate as well. Andy always showed me pictures; I kept some in my nightstand drawer. Ricky, I heard all about your girlfriend, and Emily, I knew all about your parts. I'm sorry you couldn't be told everything, but it's over now, and we are all moving forward."

"Well, I'm glad to be here, Mom," Emily grinned as Andy pulled into the driveway. The kids were quiet as he parked.

"Here we are," he turned and flashed a small smile. "Home sweet home."

"I can't believe you moved in here the last couple days, Mom," Ricky shook his head.

Sharon hummed and nodded, "It's been a crazy few days. We still have some redecorating to do, but it's feeling more and more like home. Having all of you here," she smiled brightly and laced her hand with Andy's, "well, it feels right."

"Let's go in the house before the neighbors think we're up to no good," Andy gestured. They all piled out of the car. Andy walked to the back to get the bags out. Ricky and Sharon followed.

"Thank goodness," Rusty groaned as Emily took her sweet time getting out of the car. Ricky had gotten out, closed his door, and stood against it to prevent Rusty from getting out on that side. Emily pretended to gather her purse and small bag for a long time just to annoy Rusty. "Andy, I think you need a bigger car, like one with a row for each of us."

Andy rolled his eyes, "If anyone is getting a new car, it's your mother. Hers is getting older and has been sitting here for a long time. We'll discuss that when things settle, but I'd expect our three grown children could ride home from the airport without incident. I guess I was wrong." He handed Ricky his bag and took Emily's as he gestured for the kids to head toward the house. Sharon was already leading the way, her key in hand. She opened the door and stepped to the side to let the kids enter. She waited for Andy.

"Why does it not surprise me that the three of them fought all the way home?"she shook her head and sighed.

Andy chuckled and leaned over to kiss her head, "Wait until Nicole gets here; she'll jump right into it as well."

Sharon patted Andy on the back as she followed him into the house, "Do you think we could deflect the wedding conversation until Nicole gets here so we only have to go over it one more time with everyone?"

Andy let out a small laugh, "We could only hope, but your kids are bloodhounds, my dear," he winked as he carried the bags down the hall. The kids had dropped everything in the living room and had made themselves at home, exploring the house. Sharon was about to follow them when her phone rang. Andy, who had deposited Emily's bag in her room, walked back into the living room as Sharon's phone started to ring. He looked to her, "Is that your Ohio phone or your LA phone?"

"Ohio," she frowned. She glanced up and saw the kids outside in the yard checking out everything. "I'm glad I kept the number at least for now until I can get everything switched over, but I think the number is Jack," she frowned.

"Oh great, guy just can't leave you alone," he moved to her side, as she answered the phone.

"Hello," she said and nodded to Andy as the caller identified himself.

"What do you mean you are at the condo?" Sharon asked a moment later. She looked to Andy, and he raised his eyebrows.

"No, Jack, I'm not living there. The condo was rented. Look, I'm not going to get into this on the phone. I'll text you the address if you are insisting on seeing the kids. I think at this point, it's better for all of us if you just come to the house," she rolled her eyes at Andy. Andy could tell Jack was talking, probably ranting about something, and Sharon just nodded. "Jack, we can talk when you get here. No, I'm not going into it now, but obviously grilling my tenants about my whereabouts is not the answer, and I didn't owe you an explanation earlier. You can get the whole story when you get here," she said and hung up the phone.

"Great," Andy groaned.

Sharon just nodded and then gestured with her hand, "So, the kids fighting in the car-that doesn't seem so bad right now."


	69. Chapter 69

She figured they still had at least another 10 minutes before he arrived. Jack. Good, old, Jack Raydor was on his way, mad, for sure, and ready for a fight, she suspected. Sharon had no intention of fighting; in her mind, the case was closed. Jack just had yet to be clued in on that.

Sharon had sent the text to Jack with their address-her address, Andy's address. Jack hadn't been happy with the location; she could tell that from his reply. "Why are you living all the way out there? That's 40 minutes from your condo! You owe me an explanation. I can't believe you are trying to hide the kids from me!"

Sharon had just sighed as she read the text. Jack was Jack, always focused on himself, something she hadn't seen early in their marriage. She'd been in love, and he had charmed her. That charm had only gone so far because quickly she realized that Jack did pretty much what he wanted; that carried throughout their marriage, as he floated in and out of their lives. He was still trying to focus on what he wanted, what was best for Jack. Sharon had thought about it, especially since his call to her a few days prior as she drove across the country. Sure, on some level, she was sure Jack missed her, but Jack wanted her back in his life because he was probably out of money, lonely, and in need of someone to provide stability in the form of shelter, food, and other personal comforts. Nowhere in that did Sharon sense love. Jack didn't love her; he loved the idea of her, of someone to take care of him, but he didn't love her and hadn't for some time.

Andy loved Sharon, of that she was certain. He'd been the opposite of Jack in so many areas, not that she was in the habit of comparing the men. That wasn't fair to either of them, and she tried hard to keep them separate. At times, such as now when the two men were about to go head to head, it was hard not to compare them. Andy always won in those comparisons, always.

Now, as she waited, she checked her appearance. She had changed out of her dress slacks from the morning when she, Andy, and Rusty had spent the morning downtown and traded them for white capri pants that were both comfortable and very stylish. She'd changed her top from a form fitting blouse to a loose, flowing short-sleeved shirt that she loved. Andy loved it too. He said it was very attractive on her, the light blue color very different from her normal choices, but it was a shirt she'd bought in Ohio at her department store. One thing she'd come to love about working there was trying on many different styles of clothing and finding that, sometimes, clothing surprised her. This shirt had done just that, and while it might be too sexy for paperwork downtown, it was just right for an afternoon at home with her husband and children. If she caused her ex-husband to drool a bit, well, that wasn't her problem.

After she had sent the text to Jack with their address, she and Andy had walked into the yard to find the kids. They were checking out the exterior of the house, noting the lovely patio area where Andy had a large table, stand umbrella, and a grill. The kids were siting at the table, talking, when Sharon and Andy walked outside.

"You found my favorite spot in the yard," Sharon said as she and Andy walked up, hand in hand.

"Nice patio, Andy," Emily nodded as the three turned toward their parents. "Rusty was just telling us that you have talked about putting in a pool?"

Andy nodded, "Yeah, we discussed it a little on the drive here," he explained. "I don't have to tell you guys how much your mom enjoys swimming, and that's been hard to do the last couple years. Now that we are married and getting settled here, I want this to be our house, all of us. Sharon loves to swim; that's one of her favorite activities, so why not? The boys would love it when they come over, and it's not like any of you would turn down a pool. With the condo rented and two nice incomes, it's definitely doable." He winked at Sharon when he finished explaining that.

"I'm impressed with the size of your yard, Andy," Ricky nodded as he looked around at things. "I hear you have a new lawn boy," he smirked at Rusty.

"Like you know how to cut the grass," Rusty mocked him.

"I do know how to cut the grass!"Ricky exclaimed. "We didn't always live in the condo."

"Right, I forgot," Rusty rolled his eyes. "Well, be my guest as long as you are here; feel free to cut the grass. I've been doing it plenty in Ohio."

"Make me," Ricky smirked. "I'm not the kid living here."

"Guys!" Andy yelled. "Stop! I am about ready to put you two in your room and make you work this out."

Sharon covered her mouth as she started to laugh. The boys glanced to each other and then away again. Sharon cleared her throat, and when the kids looked to her, she nodded her thanks. "Well, we did come out here for a reason, or a couple of reasons, I should say. We did want to see what you thought of the house. I'm glad you like it so far, but we also came out here to tell you about a phone call."

"Who called?" Ricky looked to her with surprise.

"Your dad is on his way over," Sharon explained. "He's been hounding me about seeing you both, and he went to the condo."

Ricky and Emily groaned. Ricky just nodded, "Right, and he doesn't know you are married yet, does he? I'm betting that's the real reason he's coming over here. He's really after you, Mom, isn't he? Em and I have been available for the last year and a half, and we've heard from him a combined total of what, five times?" Ricky looked to Emily, and she nodded. "He's after you, and he's using us, just as he uses people for whatever he needs." Ricky looked to Rusty, "You got the good dad."

Rusty looked to Ricky surprised, as he sat back in his chair. "Me?"

Emily shook her head in disbelief of how dense Rusty was being, "Rusty," she gestured to Andy.

"Oh, umm, yeah," he looked up to find Andy shaking his head at Rusty being dense. "I'll stick with him," he nodded and flashed a small smile toward Sharon and Andy, "even if he does make me cut the grass."

Sharon about melted there with that comment, at least the one about sticking with Andy, but she remembered why she had come to talk to the kids, "Jack has made it clear on the phone, numerous times now, that yes, he would like to talk to me, to possibly reconcile. I have not told him about our marriage because we wanted to tell you kids first. Jack would have ruined that for us. Besides that, it's really not his business, but he has decided to make it his business. With that in mind, I'll tell him today when he comes to the house."

"Wait, doesn't Jack know where you live, Andy?" Rusty asked.

"No, not that I'm aware. When I used to see Jack at the bar back in the day, I had just split from Sandra. I was renting an apartment, and since I've lived here over the last 10 years, I've barely seen Jack, let alone discussed the house I bought. The most I've seen Jack in the past few years has been at work and the condo, i.e., all places where Sharon is," he explained.

The group nodded, and suddenly, Ricky started to laugh, "Oh, this is going to be fun. Dad is finally getting what he deserves."

"Ricky, I am not doing this as a punishment to your father. I love Andy," she gestured to him, standing next to her, but the two were no longer holding hands. "Look, I am sorry if your dad isn't happy with his life. He made a lot of bad decisions, and we ended our marriage, something that at least I didn't take lightly. I'm sorry if he thinks he can show up here and win me back. I will deal with him when he gets here, which is what I have come to ask. I would like you to all give me a few minutes with Jack to, ahh, break the news," she gestured. "I think that he should hear that from me, and then, he is welcome to visit with the two of you. I sincerely doubt he will want to sit and talk with Andy or me," she held back a small smile.

"I so want to watch all this," Rusty crossed his arms and grinned.

"You and me both, Kid," Andy muttered, "but your mom is right. She needs to tell Jack; we're not going to let anyone make a mockery of our marriage."

"Yes," Sharon nodded in agreement. "So," she looked at her watch, "he should be here in roughly a half hour. I would like to change at least, and then, I'll deal with him when he gets here. Andy and I talked about grilling out for dinner. I, for one, would prefer to not go out to eat; I would just like some time here to enjoy our family, at least tonight. Would that be okay, to grill out this evening?"

"Sure, Mom," Emily smiled. "I don't think Dad will stick around much after he hears your news, but Ricky and I will be glad to catch up with him, if he's even interested. Say, Andy," Emily turned to him, "what might the vegetarian grill tonight for us?"

"Well, Emily my dear," Andy smirked, "your mom and I went to the store last evening. We got an assortment of fish. That sounded good to her since she's been in the Midwest for so long, and we knew everyone would eat an assortment of fish and seafood. We also picked up corn on the cob, coleslaw, and potatoes that we can bake."

"Wow, sounds better than any restaurant to me," Ricky said.

"Hmm, my thoughts exactly, Ricky," Sharon smiled. "So, are we clear on the procedure for the afternoon?"

"Oh, you mean the rules, Sharon? We're not to tell Jack about your big news so that you can tell him. We're to stay out of the way-yeah, that sounds like rules," Rusty smirked.

"Children behaving as small children need rules," Andy chimed in, "and from the behavior in the car, we have three small children."

"Okay, people!" Sharon held up her hands. "I'm going to go change. Emily, Ricky, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. You aren't a guest; this is your home too. If you are thirsty, there are several options inside."

"Ricky, there's beer in the garage fridge if you want one," Andy leaned over Sharon's shoulder to tell him. Ricky looked up to him, surprised.

"Oh, um, well, I didn't think you'd want that here, Andy," he stated.

Andy raised his hand, "It doesn't bother me. I'm not tempted. Emily, same goes for the wine. Your mom picked up a few bottles yesterday, and it's in the kitchen. Help yourself. None of it is a temptation. I would tell you if it was. Your mom and I have no problem with her having it in the house."

Emily looked to Ricky, "I think we should kick back with a drink before Dad arrives."

"Couldn't agree more," Ricky nodded. "Rusty, once again, you lucked out in the parent department.

"Yeah, no thanks on the alcohol. I wouldn't even want it if I was 21," he told them.

"Rusty," Andy put his hand on his shoulder, "maybe you can help me with the grill and everything out here. I haven't cleaned it out in awhile, and we can talk to your brother and sister while Sharon deals with Jack."

"That reminds me," Sharon nodded. "I'm going to change and prepare myself, if you will excuse me." She squeezed Andy's arm, and he leaned over to kiss her cheek. She walked back into the house while Andy continued to talk to the kids.

Sharon now walked around the living room, taking in all of their merged lives. She and Andy had accomplished a lot in the couple days she'd now been home. Her things were mixing with his, the few things she had with her. The moving truck would be arriving at the beginning of the week with their things they left in Ohio. She was so looking forward to that, to finally getting settled in the house. She wasn't going to rush it, though; the kids were here for a few days, and she was going to enjoy it.

A knock at the door had her taking a deep breath. She had no question about who was on the other side of that door. She checked herself again, knowing she looked good, not that she was vain, but she knew it because she felt it, and she walked to the door.

"Jack," she said quietly as she opened the door. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of flowers and at least one wrapped gift. "Ahh, come in," she said, still a bit surprised at his bold gesture.

"Sharon," he sighed, and to her, it sounded like a relieved sigh. "Look, I don't want to get off on the wrong foot. I' sorry I sounded irritated in my text. I was at the time, but only because I was desperate to see you and couldn't find you. I panicked when I got to the condo, and you weren't there. It scared me, and it took me back to when I found out you had been taken into witness protection. I thought, for a moment, that I wouldn't see you again just now. So, I apologize for my text. Then, when you sent me this address, way across town, away from your precious old neighborhood, it surprised me again. I didn't expect you to move out here. Now, as I'm seeing it," he nodded, looking around, "the house is cozy, and I can see why you like the area. It is quiet, quaint, and it looks like you have some property. That surprised me too, but then I remembered you have been living in Ohio, a rural area, as you said, and I thought that maybe you wanted a little space and privacy with a yard."

Sharon crossed her arms and nodded as Jack talked. She was very careful to keep her ring out of sight; she knew it would only anger Jack even more if he saw it before she could tell him. "Jack, thank you for the apology. Why don't you come in and even sit," she gestured to the couch.

"Oh, before that, these are for you," he pushed the flowers toward her. "Two dozen red roses, your favorite," he grinned at her. Sharon tried not to roll her eyes; red roses were not her favorite, not that she didn't enjoy them, but they weren't her favorite. Lilies were her favorite; Andy knew that and had gotten them for her on many occasions. He had even brought her roses too, but he'd never claimed to say they were her favorite.

"Ahh, thank you Jack, but perhaps you should save these for Emily. I'm sure she would enjoy receiving flowers from her dad," Sharon explained.

Jack scratched behind his ear, a nervous habit Sharon remembered and then said, "Well, I was hoping her beautiful mother would like them. I came with several gifts from you. I though we could all celebrate your homecoming, Rusty too," he nodded to clarify. "It's really good to have you home, Sharon, really good," he took a step closer to her. The two had been standing a couple feet apart, and Jack's couple of steps narrowed that space considerably.

Sharon still stood with arms crossed trying to assess the situation. "Jack, as I said, why don't you sit? I think we should talk."

He nodded, "I've got a lot to say to you, things I need to apologize for doing over the last few years. Sharon, I really made mistakes and would like for our family to stat over. Oh, here," he handed her a gift bag,, and even with that, Sharon still noted he had a wrapped gift. "This is to celebrate your coming home."

Sharon tried to hold up her hand and gesture to him that she didn't want to accept his gift, but he held it out to her again, and with it being so awkward, she took it. "Wine?" Sharon looked in the bag and back to Jack.

He shrugged, "I think that one is still your favorite. I won't have any," he chuckled, "but we could sit here as you've suggested, relax, and you could enjoy this wine while we talk. I'd really like that," he gave her a small smile. "Sharon, even after all these years, I just want to come home to you, and what a lovely home you've found here," he took a quick glance around at it. Renting for the time being?"

Sharon ignored that last comment and addressed the first, "Jack, I think you have the wrong idea here. I'm not interested in rekindling any sort of romance."

"Sharon," he said as he took a step closer. She responded with taking a small step backward herself. He wanted to take her hands in his, but she had the gift in her right and now the flowers in her left. She'd been strategic about her ring again, making sure not to show him, but without Jack being able to take her hands in his, he just nodded at her, "Sharon, when we were together before, years ago, It was good, really good," he started a low chuckle and looked at her with a sparkle in his eye.

Sharon pursed her lips, "Jack, while you choose to forget most of our 30-year marriage, I have not."

"Sharon," he held up his one hand in defense, "I know that, and I'm here to tell you I'm a changed man. I want us to work, and I am going to do whatever I can to show you. There's no reason we can't enjoy the things we were good at before while we work on our marriage."

"We're not married, Jack, haven't been for some time now," Sharon said pointedly.

"Well, we could be again. We could be great. With the romance we know we have, we can work on the rest. Here," he started to gesture toward the gift he had, but the back door opening had him looking toward it.

"Rusty," he nodded as Rusty walked in carrying the grill brush and a couple of dirty rags. It appeared he and Andy had finished cleaning the grill. Rusty was talking, and he looked to Jack as he entered. Sharon could see a small smile hiding behind his expression, but the real treat was Jack's face at the sight of Andy walking in behind Rusty. Andy was speaking to Rusty as they entered, and he glanced toward the living room and quickly locked eyes with Sharon. She gave him a warm smile and a look he understood. He gave her a small nod, turning back to Jack, to find him very surprised, shocked even.

"Flynn, why do I keep seeing you today? Twice in one day? Let the woman alone! Whatever you and Rusty are doing," he gestured to the two of them, "I'm sure can wait." He turned back to Shaorn, "Sharon, could we speak somewhere more private?"

"We'll just be in the kitchen," Andy smirked at Jack. "Oh, hi Jack," he flashed a grin. "Your kids are outside, in the backyard, if you are here to see them."

"Right, oh right," he nodded and looked to Sharon. "Why am I not surprised Flynn is here fixing things or whatever he is doing?" Jack threw up his hand as he gestured toward the kitchen. Sharon followed his gesture mainly to take note of where the guys were. She could tell they were around the corner in the kitchen, listening to every word.

"Jack, as I said, I'd like to tell you-" she was cut off as he pushed the gift toward her.

"Please, Sharon, open this. I picked it out for you so you know just how serious I am about all this. I want things to work. I put effort into this."

Sharon was torn between blurting it out, the fact that she and Andy were married and her curiosity of the gift. She had her idea about it, but she, on some level, wanted to actually see it. She accepted the package, noting that while she wasn't trying to get any sort of revenge on Jack, the situation was playing out to be quite laughable with Andy now in the kitchen. She could hear the guys prepping dinner, most likely marinating the fish and getting everything ready for their seafood feast.

"Jack, really, please," she pleaded.

"Just open it, Sharon, he smiled and nodded. "I think it will explain a lot and even get Flynn out of here," he rolled his eyes.

With that, Sharon took the gift. She almost didn't feel sorry for Jack anymore. She turned around and put the flowers on the coffee table and then opened the gift. When it was clear what it was, she cleared her throat, and she looked to Jack. He was standing there with a big grin on his face. He wiggled his eyebrows at her, "I know we still have that spark."

"Ahh, Andy, would you come out here, please?" Sharon looked at Jack, her face void of emotion, as she called Andy to join them. Initially, she had planned to tell Jack about her marriage on her own. Andy had been fine with that. They'd briefly discussed it when she had gone to their bedroom to change. He'd wandered in after talking with the kids outside, and he'd agreed it was probably for the best if she did it alone. He'd told her, though, that if she wanted him with her, he was more than willing to face the firing squad with her. Notifying the kids was nothing compared to Jack, and he had secretly hoped he could see the guy's reaction. He'd told Sharon he would make himself available if she needed him, and he had done just that. Sharon heard Andy pause in his conversation with Rusty and start walking her way.

"Sharon, I'm happy to show Flynn the door," Jack flashed a smile and grinned at her.

"Jack," Sharon said quietly as she turned to see Andy walking toward them. He gave off no expression either, and Sharon now had to admit this was more fun than she had planned.

"Jack, what a surprise seeing you again today," Andy made a face as he said it. He walked up to Sharon's side, "Couldn't wait to see the kids, hmm? They are in the backyard talking," he gestured with his hand behind him.

"I wanted to speak to Sharon first, and it seems she has something to tell you, Flynn. You are always lurking, and I for one, don't like that. Sharon?" Jack said to her, almost encouraging her to throw Andy out so he could be alone with Sharon, or at least Flynn-free.

Sharon was still holding the gift, and she cleared her throat to speak, "Andy, Jack brought me this," she picked up the actual gift with one finger and slowly raised it out of the box.

Andy pursed his lips as he watched Sharon's finger gingerly lift the hot pink, very tacky, sheer lingerie from the box. He eyed Sharon, their eyes talking to each other without saying a word, and then he rolled his head back toward Jack.

"Sharon, I knew you would love it, or at least the girl at the store said we both would," Jack chuckled nervously. "Flynn, obviously this makes things very clear, and you need to find another family to stalk. We won't be needing you around here."

"You know, Jack," Andy lifted his ring finger now to his face, put his finger over his mouth, to almost look like he was thinking, and he continued, "I believe you are the one who needs to go. Bringing my wife very tacky, very inappropriate lingerie is not the answer."

Sharon smiled brightly, that somehow letting Andy tell Jack was even better than telling him herself. She knew Andy would get a small satisfaction at telling him, and after how much he had done for her over the past years, this seemed like a very small, yet perfect gift in return.

"Married!" Jack bellowed, and Andy shook his hand, which was still at his face, toward Jack. Jack spotted the wedding ring, and his eyes grew even larger. He looked to Sharon, and she, now smiling brightly, shrugged at Jack.

"I have been trying to tell you, Jack. I also told you that I wasn't interested in anything, any new romance with you. Andy and I are married," she gestured to the house, "and this is our home. OUR home," she stated again.

"Your house?" Jack's anger rose. He looked around and finally noticed the details, the pictures, Andy's Dodger memorabilia, and the many other things that screamed "Flynn Household," as he glanced around., "Flynn! This is your house?"

"Well, it's our house," he put his arm on Sharon's back, "but, yes, I bought this house over 10 years ago. When we found out Sharon and Rusty would finally be returning to LA, we discussed where we wanted to live. This seemed like the best option for many reasons, one being the condo is rented. It's also bigger with a yard and not to mention three bedrooms, which are nice to house all the kids."

"When did you get married? Sharon, are you out of your mind? You married this idiot? Did you hit your head in witness protection?" Jack bellowed.

Sharon pursed her lips before continuing, "Not at all, Jack. I'm very happy and perfectly aware of what Andy and I are. I believe you are the one with the delusions right now," she said as she pushed the gift back at him. "I certainly don't need that, and for the record, it's not my style or taste anyway," she made a face as she shrugged at him. Andy held back a smile.

Jacks' eyes were huge, "When did this ridiculous wedding happen? Today? Oh, is that why the lunch by the ocean?" The panic was setting in, and Sharon decided to put him out of his misery.

"Jack, Andy and I got married months ago in Ohio. See," she nodded, "he found me while I was away. You know he's a fantastic detective, and well," she grinned at Andy, "we hated being apart. We are too much in love, and I couldn't get this wonderful man out of my thoughts. We were married before last Christmas, so now just over six months ago," she explained and continued to glance at Andy to grin. "So, whatever ideas you had about us," she gestured between Jack and herself, "are definitely not happening. Perhaps, someone else might enjoy your taste in lingerie."

"I can't believe this! You're married! Of all the dumb things you could have done, Sharon, wow, this is top of the list!" Jack exclaimed as he shook his head in disgust. "You ruined any chance for our family."

"Now that's where you are wrong," Sharon said very quickly, almost interrupting Jack. "Andy and I have blended our families. We are very happy, and the kids do and will continue to know they always have a place here with us, all five kids."

"Five kids," Jack chuckled. "You always wanted a big family, so wow, here you go. I can't imagine this went over well with the kids?"

"Hmm," Sharon smiled brightly, "they are settling in very well. We're happy, all of us, but you are more than welcome to sit and talk with your children. I believe Andy has already told you they are outside."

Jack scowled, "Married," he muttered, and then he chuckled. "Oh, so you've then lost your lapdog at work, I assume?"

Sharon glanced to Andy, and then she turned to Jack and flashed a fake smile, "Now, why would you assume that? There is no rule or any sort of regulation that prohibits spouses from working together. Come on, Jack; you know me better than to break a rule."

"How in the world did you find her, and then, how did you worm your way into her bed?"Jack bellowed at Andy.

"As Sharon said," Andy said through gritted teeth, "I'm a great detective. Even distance apart can't stop true love. You would have known that, Jack, had you loved Sharon and not run away from her time after time. Now, if you excuse me, we are having a family dinner. The kids are outside, and I'm sure they'd love to see you since it's been a long time from what they've told me. I'd also like to ask you not bother my wife anymore."

"Jack, I'm happy," Sharon nodded. "I'm happy with Andy. I'm happy here, in our home. I'm going back to work on Monday, and from this point forward, I'd ask you not to call or stop by unless it is something involving the kids or a professional, work-related matter. Please," she nodded asking him.

Jack looked to her hand where she was still holding the tacky lingerie box toward him. He snatched it from her, and he eyed her with a disapproving stare. "You've made a huge mistake."

"Hmm, let's choose to disagree on that," she nodded. "Jack, when you consider buying anything like that in the future," she nodded to the garment, "I suggest you think for your age, and also for the woman who would be wearing it. Maybe stop and ask yourself if you'd like some man seeing your own daughter in something like that?" Sharon made a horrified face as she shrugged at the suggestion.

Jack glared at her, and he closed the box quickly. Andy cleared his throat, "Kids are outside. Don't forget they are here and knew you were coming to SEE THEM," Andy emphasized.

Jack looked between the two and muttered something under his breath before he looked away and toward the yard. He started moving to the doors, and as he did, Sharon and Andy turned to follow his movements. He almost ran into Rusty, who was lurking in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hi, Jack," Rusty grinned.

"Rusty," Jack grumbled. "You know, you could have clued me in," he gestured to Sharon and Andy. "I thought we had something, that we were close."

Rusty flashed a smile and shrugged, "Yeah, well, I've learned families stick up for each other, protect each other, so," he nodded to them, "gotta make the parents happy."

Jack scowled, and flung open the door to find his own children. The three weren't sure if the door had closed all the way before they started laughing.


	70. Chapter 70

Monday morning came faster than Sharon wanted, and that was saying a lot because she was anxious to get back to work. They had enjoyed a lovely weekend with the kids, all of them at some point or another over the few days. After Jack's outburst, Sharon and Andy had given him some time with the kids, which they found to be unnecessary; Jack hadn't stayed long at the house, but thankfully, he had met the kids for dinner Sunday evening. Rusty had gone out too, even when Sharon and Andy had told him it wasn't necessary. He had wanted some alone time, some time to just re-acclimate to Los Angeles, and they knew he had some decisions to make. It was, after all, summer, and he had to decide, sooner rather than later, what he was going to do about his college plans.

With Rusty out of the house, Sharon and Andy enjoyed a couple hours of just being around each other. They talked of the weekend, of the kids' reactions and interactions. They worked on shuffling things around in their bedroom. The house was starting to feel like a home to both of them.

Now, as they were shuffling around in the kitchen early Monday morning, getting ready for work, things felt even more settled.

"This is nice, really nice," Andy walked up behind her at the coffee pot. She had their travel mugs on the counter, new ones Rusty had brought them last night after his time out, as sort of a thank you for all they had done.

 _"I figured tomorrow is a big day for you," he smiled at Sharon and nodded at Andy as the two were folding clothing on the bed as they rearranged drawers. Rusty moved into the room and held out a bag. "I know it's not much, nothing compared to what you have done for me, Sharon, and you for both of us, Andy," he looked to him, "but, I saw it, and I though you would enjoy it as a simple thanks and as a fresh start." Andy put down the clothing he was folding and looked to Sharon. She was further from the door, but he gave her a nod, and she walked toward Rusty. She gave him an odd look, wondering what he had bought for them, and he just shrugged._

 _"Travel coffee mugs, she gave a small smile as she opened the bag. They were matching ones, silver with thick gold stripes on them, so they were unique. Rusty just looked away as she looked at him._

 _"I know it's a longer drive from here to work. Your lives are at work, and well, knowing you two, you'll have your hands full at work soon enough. Coffee is the one thing that can keep you going, tea sometimes too," he nodded, "when you have to work late."_

 _"Thank you, Rusty," Sharon smiled and squeezed his hand. "This is a very thoughtful gift."_

 _Andy nodded behind her and patted his shoulder, "Thanks, Kid. We'll use them first thing tomorrow."_

Now, as they stood in the kitchen, Andy standing behind Sharon with his hands on her hips, he looked over her shoulder at the slowly brewing coffee pot. He leaned to the side and kissed her neck. "Nervous about today?" Andy said quietly as he moved his hands to rub her shoulders. She leaned back into him and sighed.

"Nervous?" Sharon asked and thought about it. "Maybe a little, but overall no. I just want my job back, my team back," she sighed. "I'm anxious, excited, and just ready to get back to our lives."

Andy hummed quietly as he continued to work on her shoulders, "Our lives. Yes, that sounds wonderful, just our simple lives taking dirt bags off the streets," he grinned.

Sharon chuckled and reached behind her to pat his hand," I never thought I'd be excited to discuss dirt bags again."

The coffee finished, and Andy stopped working on her shoulders so the two could prepare their coffee for the day. "Dirt bag is a dirt bag is a dirt bag. Just glad we didn't have to deal with the one here at the house too long the other day."

Sharon covered her mouth in a slight chuckle, as she thought back to Jack. "Yes, he's been told, and from what the kids said when they got home last night, he's still steaming about it all. I don't think he could understand how the kids were happy with everything. Jack saw this all going so differently, which is no surprise. He lived most of our wedding in delusion, and now, he can't stand to see me happy. I am, though," she turned and smiled at Andy, "very happy, very, very happy. A year ago, I almost couldn't see our situation improving, but here we are," she gestured. "I kept my faith that all would work out as best."

"Well," he smiled as he tugged on her arm and pulled her into his embrace, "today is a big day. I hope it all goes well. You have a lot of red tape to get through just to get back to full duty. It starts today. The team, we are all behind you. Fritz wants you for the job; I know that. Davis is just going to have to crawl back under her rock."

Sharon chuckled and looked up at Andy. The two kissed quickly and pulled apart. "I think I'm about ready to go. You? I can still grab something for the car," Sharon asked Andy, as he'd told her he wasn't hungry earlier.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm ready, but no, I don't need any food. Let me grab my gun. It's still on the dresser," he told her. She took both mugs in her hand. Her gun would be returned to her hopefully later in the day, at least her service weapon. She'd turned it in when she'd left for witness protection. She couldn't have her service weapon with her, and now that she was back, she had to re-qualify on her weapon along with a few other things, all paperwork issues she hoped to sort out in the next couple days. She still had to do her yearly physical, too, which was scheduled for the afternoon. Hopefully, by the end of the day, she would be on track to get her old job and office back.

"Let's go, Lieutenant Flynn," she called out to him quietly from the front door. She was standing against it, their coffee in both hands, as she grinned at him as he walked out toward her. He clipped his gun on and grinned at her.

"You're going to wake the kids," he scolded her, and she shrugged with a flirty tease.

"Hmm, we're going to work, and the three of them are still in a slumber," he chuckled as he nodded to her. She turned to open the door. "Something is wrong with the picture. It's like all three are home for summer break."

Sharon laughed as he locked the door, "I'm glad Emily and Ricky are still here for a couple of days. They can help with the moving boxes when the truck comes either tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope to get an update on that soon." Andy nodded and held open the door for her as she got into the car. Once they were both in the car and on their way, Sharon looked to Andy, "I will admit the longer commute is a bit of an annoyance, but I must admit the company is making up for the annoyance."

He flashed a grin, "Yeah, sorry about that. The one big benefit to the condo is its location, but it has been nice all weekend having everyone under foot, and it not being too crowded."

"Oh, that does score big points, Lieutenant," she grinned. "I've so loved having the kids all home. Emily is in love with having her own room, and the boys decided to bunk it out like true brothers. It's been lovely. I think they were going to go to the beach today."

He nodded, and the two continued their drive to work. It was over an hour later when Andy pulled into the parking garage. He glanced to Sharon, "No one has parked in your spot since you've been gone, not even Provenza," he grinned.

Sharon raised her eyebrows at that, "Now I see why you were so insistent on getting married," she teased. "Perks of living with the boss."

He shrugged playfully, "They always say marriage does have its perks." Sharon smacked at his arm and nodded for him to continue toward her spot. He parked, and when the two got out, he winked at her as they walked side by side into the building. It was still early, but police work never ceased, and the elevator was buzzing as they took their place. A couple of people nodded to them, while most were unaware of her long absence. Andy nodded to a few people they both knew, but the elevator ride was otherwise uneventful. When they stepped off on their floor, Sharon grabbed at his arm to stop him. She paused when the doors to the elevator closed and looked around, admiring the floor, the space, she'd spent so many years of her life. She had missed it a great deal, and finally, she was back. Andy looked to her, "You okay?"

"Wonderful," she said holding back a tear. She nodded to him. "I think the team would like to greet you before you meet with Fritz."

"Do you think they are here, any of them?" Sharon frowned as she glanced at her watch. "It's still early." She looked to her watch, and she noted it was just after 7:00. Andy shrugged.

"You have forgotten your team," he winked. "They adore you, and I bet some of them are here," he winked. "I'm here, and I'm not chopped liver."

Sharon swatted at him, and he loosely took her hand in his. She left it there, and they walked hand in hand down the hall to the office. Andy opened the door for her, and as they walked in, they were very surprised to find the entire team, even some of their patrol officers, Fritz, and others all waiting for them this early in the morning.

"Welcome back, Captain!" The team all said in unison, and Sharon clasped her somewhat free hand, as it had her mug of coffee, to her chest. She turned and smiled at And, and he shrugged as he winked at her.

"Oh, my goodness!" Sharon exclaimed and moved quickly, pulling Andy with her to greet the team. Andy let go of her hand, so she could hug the team. They all took their turns with her, even Fritz.

"Captain, Chief Davis is away at another conference this week," Fritz grinned as he looked to her.

"Coincidence," Provenza said as he nodded. "Buzz, cut that cake. I'm starving. I skipped breakfast knowing we were having a feast here."

Sharon made a face at Andy, "That's why you didn't want to sit down to breakfast," she rolled her eyes.

"Guilty, but come on," he waved at the group, "they rarely get to surprise you. They haven't seen you, well, except Provenza, in very long time. Indulge them."

"Ma'am, Lieutenant," Julio grinned, "we took the liberty to update Lieutenant Flynn's artwork on the murder board." They all turned to it, and Sharon burst out laughing as she covered her mouth.

"Really?" Andy rolled his eyes. The board had Andy's famous wicked witch stick figure out it, and her broom was drawn flying through the air. Halfway across the drawing, they had drawn a picture of the state of Ohio, and then the broom continued, back to what was a house drawn inside the state of California.

"I love it," Sharon continued to chuckle. She smacked at Andy's chest, "Did you think I didn't know about that?"

"No, of course I figured you heard about that joke. We just all chose to forget it, at least when I realized just how amazingly wonderful you are," he flashed a grin. The team groaned.

Amy produced a small gift bag, "It's not much, but we got you this. We'd love to do something more, both for your return and for your wedding, but we thought this was a start," she held the bag out to Sharon. She took it and smiled as she pulled out her new nameplate.

"Captain Sharon Raydor-Flynn," she read the plate and smiled at the team. "This is perfect."

"Captain, we didn't know what you were doing about your name, but we figured you had quite the following here at work as Raydor, but we also knew you were so over the top about the lieutenant, you wouldn't want to acknowledge that either."

Sharon patted her arm, "Thank you, Amy, and really, thank you everyone. This is perfect. I'm just glad to have my own name back again," she chuckled. "I just got all of my paperwork filled out a few days ago. Flynn is now legally my name," as she winked at Andy, "but, yes, for work, at least for now, this works perfectly. Thank you again."

Andy stood next to her as she greeted everyone. He spoke to the team, as he, too, had been out for several days helping Sharon and Rusty move. Once the initial greetings were over, the team gestured to the conference room where they had a breakfast spread out, including the cake Provenza had mentioned. They all started toward the conference room, and Sharon paused to look at her office.

"She painted it taupe?" Sharon turned to Andy, eyes wide in horror. Andy looked to the office, closed his eyes, and he nodded while he chuckled.

"You know, I never could put my finger on why her office was so depressing. I should have noted it was the room color. It's almost the same beige color you had in Ohio, isn't it?"

Sharon, who was still making her face, nodded. "It's a hideous color. I can't believe it's followed me to work here again. I hate seeing her things in my office."

Julio stopped and followed Sharon's gaze, "Don't you worry, Ma'am. We'll all personally pack up and move her out of that office just as soon as Chief Howard gives us the okay," he nodded. Sharon smiled at him.

"Thank you, Julio. It's good to see you. I've missed you all. Today is going to be a good day. It's a full day, but I can't wait to get back into my office," she told him.

"Perhaps, we could suggest Rusty bring some paint?" Andy grinned and followed Sharon to their party.


	71. Chapter 71

"So, wait," Amy held up her hand to stop the conversation, "Lieutenant, that was your wedding night in Cleveland when I saw you?"

All heads turned to Amy; she hadn't told anyone about seeing Andy back in December. Everyone turned from Amy back to Andy and Sharon, as the whole group had taken seats around the conference table to catch up and enjoy the breakfast party that had been thrown in their honor.

"Sykes, you saw Flynn in Cleveland?" Provenza's brow rose, as he processed the information.

"Umm, yeah," she shrugged. "Back before Christmas, remember I took a few days off. Coop and I flew back East to see his family. It was the first time I'd met his aunt. We flew into Cleveland, and that night, we ran into the lieutenant at the hotel. He had this whole story for us."

"I'm very impressed you bought that," Sharon chuckled.

Andy's mouth dropped open, "Hey! I resent that. I told you I came up with a good cover story on the fly. She obvious thought I sounded legit, but yes, Sykes, we'd gotten married that day. Sharon had forgotten her phone in the car, and I was coming back inside with it. We had plans to go to a nice dinner, but instead, we stayed in the room. Didn't want to risk running into you or Cooper. It didn't turn out so badly," he winked at Sharon.

The room groaned, and Sharon turned pointedly to Andy, "And, that's why that discussion we had late last night about professionalism at work is so important." The groans turned to chuckles as they watched Sharon give Andy some "guidance" as his boss. They all started to grin at their banter. While they had been used to the two as the flirting mess they had been over a year and a half ago, they weren't used to them as a married couple.

"What was the story, Lieutenant? Amy's a pretty good detective, and it had to be kinda believable for you to get one by her," Julio asked.

Andy grinned at Amy, "I told her I was in town on a job interview, that I was thinking of retiring after everything."

"He did, and I am now mad at myself I bought it," she sighed. "You were even dressed the part, a nice suit, which now I get. I didn't want to bring it up when you came back to work, and then I assumed you turned it down when you stayed here."

"Like I said, I can hide things pretty well," he grinned.

"Except your love for the captain," Buzz nodded. "That's been obvious for years. Very happy for you two," he smiled at Sharon. "I'm also looking forward to catching up with Rusty. We're going to get together later this week."

"Sykes, I can't believe you ran into him," Provenza shook his head. "Imagine if you had run into the captain!"

"Oh, that would have been quiet the shock," Sharon's eyes grew wide. "Rusty and I talked about that on occasion. Our town was small, but we often wondered when we traveled what we'd do if we saw anyone."

"Where did you travel, Ma'am?" Julio asked.

"Well, besides Cleveland for our honeymoon night," Sharon smiled at Andy, "Rusty and I went there often too. We got to watching the Cleveland Indians, and when Andy and the lieutenant came to move us, we took them to a game too. I took Rusty on a vacation to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and we toured colleges. We had plans to meet Andy in Florida for a vacation, but those fell through. It was quite the struggle trying to juggle it all."

"Don't forget your two secret trips to LA," Andy pointed out to her as he gave her a nod.

"Right!" she exclaimed and turned to Mike. "Mike, thank you for helping with that first one."

"Ahh, sure," he looked to her with a surprised expression and continued, "but, a second trip?"

"Tao, you saw the captain?" Julio asked.

"This keeps getting better and better," Amy sat back and crossed her arms. "It's like the captain broke her own rules."

"Oh, she totally did, Sykes," Andy chuckled. Sharon glared at him again, and he shrugged, "What? You did. You came back when I had the dust up and blood clot." He turned toward the group, "She stayed overnight in the hospital and then caught a flight back to Ohio. Tao and Provenza took care of that."

"How did they contact you?" Julio leaned forward in his interrogation stance.

"Ahh, the lieutenant called me," Sharon shrugged.

"I may have mentioned to him that I could contact Sharon," Andy looked around the room, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal."

"Right, and then, my other trip, I surprised him here in LA," she smiled at Andy. He winked at her.

"Oh, I almost got the surprise," Provenza grumbled. "Can't even sit at Flynn's house and watch a game without the captain popping in from witness protection."

That had the whole team laughing, and while they all had other questions, Sharon shook her head. "Listen, I know there is much more to say. I'm delighted to see all of you and be back at work. I do have a meeting I must get to, but we can continue this over the next few days, and after the kids leave, we'd love to have all of you to the house for a get-together. If I can get my office back," she turned and grimaced at the color, "I'll start by painting it. Until then, I need to go through the proper steps. I need to re-qualify on my service weapon along with several other things. I have paperwork for HR still, so I have a full day ahead of me," she said and stood. The team nodded and followed her lead. After her promise of catching up more later, she left for her meeting and left the team to clean up.

The morning went smoothly, but with Davis out of town, no talks of the future were completed. Fritz hadn't stayed for their party in the conference room, but during Sharon's meeting with him that morning, he'd told her that a decision would be made by Friday when Davis returned from her conference. Until then, Sharon had plenty to do in the building, and when she was through with all that, she could use the conference room in the interim. It worked out the team needed a leader for the week with Davis away, and they had their former one back and hopefully, for good.

By 6:00, Sharon and Andy were in the car and on their way home. The kids had promised to take care of dinner, and they were looking forward to a night with them again. Their drive took almost an hour and a half with traffic, and once home, they changed their clothes before they relaxed to enjoy the kids' company.

They found some of the kids in the kitchen. Sharon hugged Rusty and Emily as they entered, "Hello, my loves," she smiled at them. "Where is your brother? I thought I saw him when we staggered in from work," she chuckled.

Andy was busy pouring Sharon a glass of wine, which he handed her. He looked to Emily with a questioning gaze, and she nodded in apprehension. "That doesn't bother you?" she gestured to Andy pouring the wine and giving it to Sharon. "I am just surprised, that's all."

"You're allowed to ask me anything, Em," he smiled at her, "and no, it doesn't bother me. It wasn't my thing, wine, but if it ever did, I'll tell your mom."

Sharon nodded her thanks at the glass while Andy worked on his cranberry juice. Sharon looked to the kids, "Ricky?"

"Oh, yeah, right," Rusty shook his head, "he's working on the grill. He wanted to do steak. Andy, we picked up more fish, but I don't know what he got."

"Sounds great," he nodded. "Anything sounds good. Long day."

"Good day?" Emily asked.

"Very," Sharon smiled warmly as she leaned back against the counter. "It was so good to be back at work. Nothing is being decided about my job until Friday because Chief Davis is at a conference, but I hope it will work out for us. I'm running the team this week, at least, and we go on call starting Wednesday."

Andy nodded, "It's so good having her back."

Sharon smiled at him, while Rusty and Emily rolled their eyes. Sharon finally broke eye contact with Andy and looked to the kids, "What did all of you do today?"

"Rusty, tell them what you did with your big brother and sister today," Emily nodded to him.

Sharon and Andy both turned to Rusty, and he started to explain, "We took a tour at UCLA today."

"Oh?" Sharon's expression turned to surprise, and she looked to Andy and found the same expression on his face.

"Yeah, so I got to thinking last week when we were moving that I need to decide what I want to do. I didn't want to tell you guys because I felt I needed to decide on my own. You have both been great. I mean, you managed to make it work to both be there when I toured Miami. This, I wanted to do on my own, no influences, well," he rolled his head at Emily, "except for annoying siblings, but I wanted to get an honest comparison. I booked the tour last week, and they had spots for today."

"We found out where little brother was going and offered to tag along," Emily explained. "It was a good day. Mom, you'd be proud; we bonded."

"I am happy to hear that," Sharon said with an almost worried expression. "What I'd like to hear is what did you decide?"

"Hey, can I get a plate out here?" Rusty stuck his head in the door. "Hey Mom, Andy," he grinned.

"I'll take him the plate," Emily said and walked to the cabinet. Sharon and Andy waved to Ricky, but both were waiting for Rusty to answer. Rusty continued.

"I hope you aren't mad," he started.

Sharon shook her head and noted Andy was doing the same thing. "Rusty, we won't be mad at you," Andy crossed his arms. "We just want you to be happy."

"I'd really like to go to Miami," he said quickly and let out a long breath. "I never thought I'd say that, that I'd want to go back to Ohio, but I really like the school. It's smaller, and that was my annoyance today with UCLA."

"Rusty, I'm not trying to keep you here at all," Sharon nodded, "but if you want to stay in California, there are smaller schools."

"I know," he nodded. "I just think this is something I need to do. As weird as it is, Ohio feels like a little bit of home," he shrugged. "I just really like the school. I like my program there, and if you really don't mind my being so far away, I'd like to go there. It just feels right. I won't even be there four years with my transfer in of my degree. I'll be back in California before you know it, because, really, Ohio long term is not for me," he grinned.

"Mind?" Sharon let out a half laugh, "Rusty, I want you to be happy. Andy and I both want that for all of you," she squeezed Andy's hand. "Honey, as we've discovered, Ohio is a plane ride away, or maybe two," she added, rolling her eyes. "We will make it work. I'm not sure we'll be up for another road trip by then," she let out a chuckle, "but we'll get you to school."

"You're sure?" Rusty asked.

"Kid, we already paid the deposit back before all this developed," Andy shrugged. "You've been to orientation, and as far as the school is concerned, the only thing that changes is where you come on breaks. The program was going to deal with fixing your name and all. It is not a problem. It's a good problem," he nodded, "to have you want to go away to school."

"I'm relieved," he sighed. "I was worried you wouldn't want me out of your sight after everything."

"I hate seeing all of you leave, but it's your lives you need to live, all of you," Sharon walked to Rusty and hugged him. "I'm proud of you for finding your way."

"Cool," Rusty grinned when Sharon pulled back from her hug. "Ricky said he wanted to drive across the country with me to take my car to school. You two can fly," he gestured, "you know, on account of being old. Ricky and I can drive and meet you there to move me into the dorm."

Andy grimaced and glanced at Sharon, "You two in the car for a few days?"

"What?" Rusty shrugged, "It couldn't be any worse than you and Provenza."


	72. Chapter 72

Sharon finished putting lotion on her hands, rubbing them together as she walked to the bed. Andy was not paying attention, focused on the sports' scores scrolling across the tv. With remote in on hand, he was frowning at the scores. Sharon shook her head, marveling at his intensity, and she climbed into bed, still without him noticing. He only seemed to snap out of his haze when she turned off the light.

"Hey," he looked to her, a bit surprised he hadn't noticed her getting into bed. She applied more lotion and continued to rub her hands together.

"Hey yourself," she smiled at him. "How's your date with the television?" she grinned and nodded to it.

He looked to the television and rolled his eyes, "Sports, my teams lost," he grumbled.

"Ahh, teams," Sharon teased as she got settled. "Just what teams are we discussing? I assume the Dodgers, but you now have more than one team?"

"I've been following Cleveland," he grumbled, and Sharon gave him a bright smile when he said that. She leaned over and kissed him sweetly while he just rolled his eyes at having to explain Cleveland had become one of his teams.

"I think that is extremely sweet," she told him as she got comfortable and snuggled up next to him. "Oh, Andy, Rusty is going back to Ohio," Sharon sighed as she shook her head. Andy shifted lower onto his pillow and pulled Sharon into his side. He kissed her head and sighed loudly.

"I know, and I must say you took that very well. He's a good kid, Sharon, and that was a pretty big decision he had to make," Andy noted.

"He did have a big decision," Sharon sighed again. "I know it's the right one for him, simply because he did put so much thought into it. I am proud of him, and I'm proud of Ricky and Emily for going with him and talking it through with him."

"They've come a long way," Andy noted. "We all have," he said. Sharon nodded. "We'll get him all delivered in August. I'm cringing at the thought of Ricky and Rusty driving together," Andy groaned.

Sharon laughed and patted his chest, "I am too, but it will be good for them. As you said, he's a good kid, Ricky too, and they are adults. It will be very memorable, just the two of them, and I have to admit I can't stomach the idea of another long drive."

"I was looking at airline tickets after dinner while you and the kids were going through some of their boxes from the storage unit. I didn't buy any yet, but we probably should sooner than later. It's already June, and college boy will be off before we know it," Andy told her. "They aren't too bad. Once Rusty figures out his schedule for the semester, we can buy his ticket to come home for Christmas. That, I know, will have you giddy."

"Yes," she sighed and smiled at that idea. "I was thinking about what he'll need. Well, between the consolidation of the homes, he shouldn't need too much. We have plenty of towel sets, and Rusty isn't keen on new things anyway. He'll probably need a comforter to fit the dorm room bed, but otherwise, I'm sure he'll shop for most of his things from our extra things. We can keep my storage unit until he's out of school just so that he or any of the other kids who might need furniture or things have easy access to it."

"Sounds like a plan," Andy said sleepily. "Hey, anything that puts you right here with me, I'm good. It was great walking into work with you today, our work, married, and no one could do anything about it."

"It was great," Sharon grinned as she shifted to get comfortable. "I didn't get as much done today as I would have hoped."

"That's because everywhere you went, you ended up talking to people and having mini-reunions all over the building. See, you thought people hated you, but they've all missed you," he said.

Sharon chuckled, "I think it was more along the lines of 'You really married Andy Flynn, THE Andy Flynn' reaction."

"Always making jokes, Sharon," he sighed. "I'm going to go to sleep. I can't have my boss yelling at me this week when we are on call because I'm so tired. That won't go over well, explaining that my wife kept talking to me while I was trying to sleep."

"Lucky for you, your boss, at least this week, is a lovely person," Sharon leaned over, smiling, as she kissed Andy. "Night, Andy. Love you."

"Night, Beautiful. I love you," he grumbled. He reached over and pulled her closer, so happy they were finally back in LA together.

The rest of the week kept the busy getting both Sharon and Rusty settled in LA. Ricky and Emily both left on Wednesday morning, which was bittersweet. As much as everyone loved being together, it was time for everyone to get back to their lives. They had been at the house, along with Rusty, to receive the boxes from the moving truck. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to fill up a good portion of the living room. Rusty and Ricky had shuffled boxes, moving things to their rightful rooms Tuesday afternoon, so that Sharon and Rusty had them to unpack at their leisure. Rusty spent a good deal of the rest of the week doing that, while saving some of the boxes to use for his upcoming return trip to Ohio for school. With a tearful goodbye, Sharon sent Emily and Ricky back to New York and San Francisco. There wasn't a "return date" set, but all knew they would try to get together sooner than later; the time Sharon and Rusty had spent in Ohio taught the whole family that time was precious, especially family time. Major Crimes went on call as well, and they landed a case late Thursday evening, just as Sharon and Andy were almost home. The long drive was annoying, but the two were dealing with it now. With Rusty going to school, the two had briefly discussed moving back to the condo when their tenants lease was up, but nothing had been decided, and they weren't sure what they wanted to do. They loved the space Andy's house offered, but the drive was a killer, especially on days like this when they had to turn around and find an actual killer.

The team caught a case of an apparent murder for hire, one that was a somewhat simplistic case compared to many they had caught before. They worked through the night on Thursday, and Friday morning finally, around 7:00, Sharon told them all to take an hour and a half break for food and rest. Andy offered to get Sharon some breakfast if she wanted to work, but she could feel the fatigue and told him she'd join him at the diner.

Most of the team spent the first few minutes of their break to freshen up and change their clothes. Most kept a fresh suit in the building or their cars. After Sharon and Andy had both changed, they made their way across the street to the diner. It wasn't too crowded, as the early rush was on the way out to get to work; Sharon knew that, which is why she'd selected 7:00 as their morning break time. She and Andy found Provenza and Julio already at a table, and the two motioned for Sharon and Andy to join them.

"You good eating with them? We can sit alone," he shrugged.

"No," she shook her head. "We can eat with them. It's our team. What would you do if I wasn't here?" she asked.

"Get food to go and eat with you back at office," he said sweetly. She rolled her eyes as she nudged him toward the table. "No, I mean if I wasn't even here-you would eat with them. They are your friends, our friends, and part of the team."

He nodded, "Yeah, but you're here now. I'm always happy to tell them to take a hike."

Sharon shook her head, "We'll eat with our friends. Hello, Lieutenant, Julio," she said as they arrived at the table.

"Captain, Flynn," Provenza nodded. Sharon sat down next to Provenza while Andy sat down next to Julio.

"Ma'am, I can move if you want to sit with the lieutenant here," Julio nodded toward Andy.

"Oh, this is fine," Sharon told him. "Thank you. I don't need to sit with Andy."

"See, what did I tell you," Provenza nodded. "Trouble in paradise already. Can't even work together a week without wanting to be far away from Flynn."

"She isn't trying to get far away from me!" Andy exclaimed, and he felt Sharon's foot tap his leg. He looked to her, and she gave a slight nod. Andy sighed, realizing Provenza was trying to mess with him. "Oh, stuff it, Old Man!"

"Ma'am, now that it's Friday, do you expect you'll once and for all get your office back?" Julio asked as he sipped a cup of coffee. Sharon was prevented from answering right away as the waitress walked over with menus and a pot of coffee. Andy and Sharon both nodded to her to fill their cups. Once she had stepped away again, Sharon shrugged at Julio.

"I can hope, but I would have thought things would have already been decided. I've been kept out of the loop all week," she admitted.

"Pancakes or eggs?" Andy raised an eyebrow at her, his mind focused on the menu. He'd discussed this plenty with Sharon over the course of the week.

"I was thinking French Toast and fruit," she told him. "You?"

He frowned, and she rolled her eyes, "You can share, of course."

He grinned and nodded to the others, "I'll get the eggs then. You can have my bacon. What's mine is yours."

Provenza grumbled while Julio smiled. The waitress returned and took their orders. The four settled into light conversation until all their meals arrived at almost the same time. The four were quiet as they ate; the late night had taken a toll on all of them, and when they were finished eating, Provenza and Julio excused themselves to head back, shave, and freshen up.

"Unlike you two, I haven't changed yet," he nodded to Sharon and Andy. "I'll see you back there."

"Same with me," Julio nodded. "I was too hungry."

"We'll be over shortly, and Provenza, don't stiff me on your bill," Andy nodded. "I'm only paying for the captain's meal," he flashed a grin. Sharon hid her smile when she dropped her head, and then she looked up when their to-go cups were put on the table.

"Thanks, Beverly," Andy mumbled to the waitress. The team was in here often enough they knew most of the staff.

"Sure thing, Lieutenant," she nodded. "Captain, haven't seen you in awhile."

"Oh, I was away for quite some time," Sharon told her, "Police business," she shrugged. "I'm glad to be back."

"Sharon and I got married," Andy told her proudly. "So, I'll take our check."

"Well, congrats, but that's nothing new," she waved at them, "you taking the check," she winked at Sharon. "Very happy for you both."

"Did Provenza pay?" Andy rolled his eyes. "I am just waiting for you to tell me he didn't."

"No, but Detective Sanchez did, for the lieuteant too," she nodded. "Your team is one I know most everyone. Your team is the nicest group I get in here," she nodded to Sharon.

"Oh, thank you," Sharon smiled. "I've been away for so long, I just hope it still is my team. We'll hopefully find out soon."

The two paid and made their way back to work, the elevator taking a long time as it stopped on almost every floor. When they arrived back in the office, Sharon stopped quickly as they walked toward her old office.

"It would seem Davis is back," she sighed.

Andy groaned, "I thought she was due in later today.

"Well, well, well," they both heard and turned at the sound. Sharon and Andy each had a cup of coffee in hand, and each frowned at the voice.

"Chief," Sharon said crisply, and she looked behind her to note that Julio was taking his seat.

"Sorry, Ma'am, sent you a text," he held up his phone to show her. As he said that, her phone alerted her to that text, the message most likely delayed with their elevator ride.

"Chief Howard's office tells me I'm taking over in Cyber Security, just so you can have your old job back," she said, almost rudely.

Sharon stepped back slightly, "That's news to me, Chief. I've been working out of the conference room all week, running the team since you were out of town."

"Well, it's not like they have ever worked for me, and I mean that as it sounds. They've barely put forth any effort the whole time I've been in charge. It's clear where their allegiance stands."

"Hey!" Andy exclaimed. "We've worked our tails off for you, Chief! We have never not done our job; we've been extremely professional."

"Says the man legally tied to the boss," she said crisply. "Case in point-very clear where your allegiance stands, as you share a bed with the boss."

"Chief Davis!" Sharon exclaimed, not aware that the rest of the team had filed in and was standing back watching. Provenza had come from side door, his shaving kit in hand. Amy, Buzz, and Tao were walking in together and stopped just inside the door as Sharon and Davis started their argument.

"You want to question professionalism? You are the one here bringing up things that aren't even relevant or true. There has never been an issue with that from any member of my team, ever. I know I have been gone, but these detectives are extremely professional, and while they may not have liked you on a personal level, I have no doubt they carried themselves well in a professional one. You are out of line; I'm not asking, but TELLING you to stop bringing up my personal life, as that of Lieutenant Flynn's. We are not here as your punching bag. You, being a chief, should know that office gossip is not to be tolerated, and I'm ashamed you have the nerve to bring it up now."

"Very well said, Captain Raydor," Fritz nodded to her as he entered from the electronics area where apparently, he'd come in through that door. "I was just coming in here to check on things. My secretary just told me Chief Davis had been by the office looking for me. Imagine my surprise to find out things are already spiraling out of control. Everyone," he nodded to the team, cowering in the hallway, "get back to work. Chief Davis, Captain Raydor or Flynn, or whatever name you are going to use, my office pleases" he told them and turned to leave. Davis didn't bother to look at Sharon; she just spun around and followed Fritz. Sharon looked to Andy, and he gave her a small, sympathetic smile and took her coffee.

"Good luck," Andy grumbled quietly, "but sounds like you have your job back."

Julio kept watch, and when both Fritz and Davis had disappeared, he looked to Sharon, "Ma'am, we're happy to all chip in and pack her up today so you can get your office back."

Sharon let out a slight chuckle as she smoothed her suit, "Hmm, that might just be the best use of the empty moving boxes we have stacked at the house. I'll hopefully be back soon," she nodded to the group and started for Fritz's office.

Sharon was waved into Fritz's office where he and Davis were just taking their seats, "Captain," he nodded to her. "Please have a seat."

Sharon nodded in thanks and sat. She gave a quick glance to Davis, but she wouldn't look at Sharon.

"I'll cut right to the chase. Chief Davis, we need someone with your rank to head the Cyber Security division. It's a division that will only rise in prominence and size. Knowing that, the department would like a high-ranking official to take charge. We've had a commander in there, but with the shifting of the department and added staff to that division, the role of commander will no longer suffice. This is definitely a big job, and we think you are the right one for it."

"Chief, I wasn't even asked or given a choice," she pointed out to him as she sat forward.

"True, but you are the one we've selected. I can't imagine you would think this sort of responsibility is anything short of a fantastic opportunity. Often in life, we aren't given choices, but we do the best with what we are given. You have done a fine job of running Major Crimes, but we have the captain back, and Major Crimes was running just fine with a captain before. I believe this is the best fit for both of you."

"Chief-" Davis started, and Fritz just shook his head.

"Look, this has been decided. Chief Pope signed off on this, as apparently, you've already heard grumblings of it. With Captain Ray-" he turned to Sharon, "Captain, what name are you using?"

Sharon bit her lip, trying to hold back her grin. She toyed with her rings on her finger, and just to annoy her, she turned to Chief Davis and caught her glance. "Ahh, here at work, I've decided to use the hyphenated version, Raydor-Flynn. At home, in our private lives, which," she gave a look to Davis, "our private lives are not part of work discussions, I'm using Flynn. I've wasted too much time on names now to worry that my identity is only centered around one name. I spent the last year and a half with a name that meant nothing to me. Now that I'm back, I have a choice about my name, and I've made my choices both professional and personally."

Davis smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes, "Captain, I believe we need to address you working directly with your husband. Chief," she turned to Fritz, "I believe Lieutenant Flynn should be transferred if you intend to put Captain Raydor," she gave Sharon an annoyed look and intentionally used just Raydor, "back in her old job. Spouses working together is not a good idea."

"Maybe," Fritz shrugged, "but, that's not your call. It's not against department policy, and knowing the level of professionalism I can expect from Captain Raydor-Flynn," he said almost smiling at Sharon, "I don't think it will be an issue. If one arises, we'll handle it, but I for one, know what good can come out of spouses working together. Let's not forget that, while not this exact situation, I worked with my wife, closely I might add, for years."

"Chief, you're blind if you think the team will ever complain about a favoritism issue! That team is tight lipped!" she complained. Sharon just sat there, very still and quiet; Davis was digging her own hole.

"I'd like to think they work well together, all of them, all the more reason the captain and lieutenant's personal life will not be an issue. As of now, it's not your concern anyway, Chief Davis. Your new division will be expecting you this morning. I can have your office packed and sent to you."

"Chief," Sharon chose this moment to jump into the conversation, "my division," she said and tried not to smile, "is happy to help."

"What a shock!" Davis said as she threw up her hands. "Haven't worked hard at anything in a year, and now they are willing to step it up."

"Chief," Fritz looked to her, "I'd be very careful throwing digs at other divisions. You will be working together at times; let's keep things professional, shall we?"

"Captain, let's have your detectives work their current case, and maybe we can figure out the office situation later?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, "That's fine, Chief. We've been operating just fine this week. I think we should have an arrest later today, and we'll work then tomorrow to finish our call."

"Fantastic," Fritz said as he looked down at his desk and paperwork. "Very well," he looked to them and nodded. "Congratulations to you both. Welcome back and keep up the good work," he said as his dismissal. Sharon stood and stuck out her hand to Chief Davis.

"Chief, thank you for your leadership while I was away. It was hard being out of touch, but I've been told the team was in good hands."

Davis was surprised at Sharon's gesture, but she did shake her hand. Her response wasn't as friendly, "Don't break any of my things in transition, Captain," she nodded and stepped away from the desk. Sharon just gave Fritz a quick glance, and he gave a small shake of the head and then looked back at his desk. Sharon straightened her suit and walked out. Davis moved quickly, and Sharon decided to avoid further confrontation and slipped into the office area through electronics. She found the team working the board, their active case still the priority. All eyes turned when they heard her heels.

"Well?" Andy asked as they all looked at her.

She let out a half laugh, half sigh, "I'm back. I'm truly back."

* * *

 **Okay, after this crazy ride, I've got one more chapter planned! Thanks to those still reading.**


	73. Chapter 73

**Here we are...this is the very last chapter of the story. Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed it. While yes, it's hard to end a story, this seemed like the right spot. I never imagined it would last 73 chapters, but very glad so many have enjoyed it. I've got a new story in mind, and that should be posted soon. Here, we pick up a few months later...**

* * *

Andy dropped his fork in his bowl and sighed. He rested his elbows on the table and looked down at the half-eaten bowl of soup and scowled at it.

Sharon looked over at him from the counter where she was brewing tea for both of them. "What's wrong?" she casually asked him as she put tea bags in their mugs and waited for the water to boil.

"This soup," he gestured, "tastes like cardboard. I hate this junk. All this heart healthy stuff," he shook his head at her, "I don't like it."

She nodded and gave a slight frown, "I understand you don't like it, and the taste is off, but your doctor was very clear about your dietary changes after the heart attack.

"I just don't understand it!" he exclaimed and dropped his hand on the table causing the spoon to bounce out of the bowl. It clattered rather loudly on the table, something he hadn't tried to do, and he sighed at that. He wiped off his tie where the soup had splattered slightly and looked to Sharon before he continued. She had her hands on the counter and was waiting for him to finish; she was being and had been very patient with him the last few weeks. "How did I have a heart attack? I eat well; I don't eat meat. I don't eat ice cream and things of that nature. I just don't understand it."

"Stress," Sharon said in her very flat, monotone voice. "I know it's been several weeks already, but perhaps after more reflection, you will realize that stress did contribute to your heart attack."

Stress! I'm not stressed," Andy exclaimed and then closed his eyes and slumped back in the chair. Sharon poured the water into their mugs and walked to the table to sit down across from him. Before she did, she eyed the chair and then looked to the other chairs in the room, with a silent question asking him if it was safe to sit with him. He rolled his eyes and gestured to the chair at his table. She put down the mugs and sat.

"Andy," she tried again with a soft voice, "the doctor said that stress isn't always from one isolated incident. Look at what almost the past two years have been like. Yes, I'm back home and have been now for a few months, but we have still had a lot of stress in our lives," she gave him a soft smile and reached across to squeeze his hand. She didn't let it linger there; they were at work, after all, taking their lunch break, as much of the team was doing. The break room just happened to be empty at the moment which wasn't exactly a surprise at 1:15. "Honey, stress builds, and in your case, it caused a heart attack. I'm sorry you aren't enjoying your new diet, but I really want to keep you around for years to come," she gave him a small smile.

He let out a long sigh and nodded. He looked down at the bowl of soup. It really didn't taste good to him, especially with the bland broth. "Can we make a deal?" he looked to her, a smile hiding behind his expression.

She narrowed her gaze at him, "Possibly. I'm open to options."

"Can we please find something else, a different type of soup I can eat? This is truly terrible!" he exclaimed again. "I know you and I can't always make homemade soup, but for the occasions I need something at work, like today, I've got to find a different type."

She pursed her lips and when her gaze met his, she smiled. "Yes, we can do that. I did manage to suggest a seafood restaurant for dinner, so that should be enjoyable. At least you can still eat fish and most seafood," she nodded at him.

"Yeah," he grumbled. "That was nice of you, but I know we won't be able to eat fish every meal the next few days."

She patted his hand again to get him to look at her, "We'll find things you can eat, and I believe I've mostly been sticking to your diet with you."

"Mostly," he pointed his spoon at her, the spoon he'd flipped out of the bowl and was now trying to eat a bit more of his soup. He knew if he didn't, even though he didn't like it, he'd be hungry before they got to dinner. "Let's examine the evidence, Captain, shall we, hmm?" he put the spoon down, sat back, and he crossed his arms. Sharon dropped her head in shame, a smile hidden on it. "Let us both remember Rusty is out of the house right now."

"Right!" Sharon said quickly. "Going back to your heart attack," she said trying to change the conversation, "we discussed that sending our youngest off to school, a couple thousand miles away from home, was certainly stressful. Even after we dropped him off, we had a plane ride back with a highly excited Ricky, who stressed both of us out," she chuckled. "We're only now getting used to the empty nest."

"Don't try to change the subject, Babe," he smirked at her. He started again, "Rusty is not home, but we seem to still be going through plenty of both vanilla and salted caramel ice cream. Know anything about that?"

"I would have no idea," she stared right back at him, her expression giving nothing away.

He rolled his eyes, "We also seem to find a certain 'guilty pleasure' falling into the cart at the grocery store, as I remember from you enjoying them, those barbecue chips, but I haven't figured out where you are hiding them. I can just tell when you've eaten them."

Her eyebrows rose, and she rolled her eyes at being caught, "I keep a stash in my desk drawer."

"Ah ha!" he pointed at her. "I knew it was somewhere in the office. I just wondered if Amy or someone was hiding them from you, but wait, what desk drawer? I've never seen them when I've grabbed your purse for you."

She sighed, "The one behind my desk, not in my desk. My desk was too easy, and I didn't want to be compared to Brenda."

Andy chuckled as he processed that, "Okay," he nodded. "One last question, though," he winked at her, "even with all that, the junk food, tell me, Captain," he leaned in and dropped his voice to an almost whisper, "how do you still look so hot? I eat one chip, and I gain ten pounds, and my cholesterol shoots through the roof."

Sharon started to laugh and then put her hand over her mouth to contain her laughter, "Hmm, that remains a mystery, both to you and me, but I will say, Lieutenant," she nodded at him and looked at her watch, "we are now back on the clock, and you are on the verge of being sent to sensitivity training."

He stood and gathered his still partially full bowl of soup, "Worth it," he grumbled and squeezed her shoulder as he walked by her to clean up his lunch. Sharon stood, still chuckling, and finished cleaning up the rest of their lunch. She'd had a turkey sandwich for lunch from home, but Andy was trying to stick to low sodium soups right now.

"Oh, that reminds me," she said turning to him, "did you transfer money to Rusty's account last night? I know we talked about it, and you said you were going to take care of that. Leave it to Rusty to let us know it's low when he has $25 left in it."

He looked to her with surprise, "Captain, we are back on the clock, remember?" he teased. "Why would you be asking one of your lieutenants about transferring money to the kid? In my book, that is also borderline inappropriate, asking your team to pick up the slack for the kid. We aren't made of money, you know," he nodded to her.

Sharon started laughing even harder and nodded, "Point taken. I'll make a note to discuss with my husband later. I suppose if Rusty calls me in a panic this afternoon, I know the answer."

Andy continued to wash the bowl, and Sharon picked up her mug and started for the door, acting like she was going to leave Andy and go back into the office. He looked up as she opened the door, "The money was transferred," he grumbled, but it was loud enough for her to hear. She closed the door, moving back into the break room and grinned at him.

"Works every time," she winked. He just started to chuckle and shook his head. He put away his bowl, walked to his mug, collected it, and he followed her back to the office.

"Good thing I still like you," he said quietly as he opened the door for them. "You're next to impossible when you are trying to be right."

The two were still laughing about their banter when they entered the room. They were lost staring at each other, that they didn't notice the visitors, but they quickly heard them. "There they are! Oh, Sharon, Andy," they heard a squeal, and both looked suddenly to the voices.

"Kathy, Becky!" Sharon said quickly, and as she said that, Andy reached for her mug, knowing she would want to hug her friends. "Oh, you're early! This is such a surprise!" she squealed as the three women hugged. Mike and Eric walked up behind them, and Andy put the mugs on an empty desk and reached out to shake their hands. The group spent several moments greeting each other while the team watched on, interested in the interaction. The four had been sitting around talking to the team while they waited for Sharon and Andy to return.

"Oh, it's so wonderful to see you," Sharon said, sighing, as she pulled back from her friends. She and Andy stood against the back of the desks, and their friends stood opposite them. "We are so glad to have you out here for a visit, but you're early!" she said again as she started to laugh. Andy chuckled too.

"We told you we thought we'd get in mid-afternoon. Well, we weren't adding the time zone changes in correctly. Obviously, we haven't traveled much. It just didn't dawn on us. We should have looked at our tickets better. I know I just emailed you the itinerary, and you said we could meet you here to see where you worked, so here we are," Kathy gestured. "Our first time to California, and this is our first stop," she grinned.

"Welcome to California," Julio chimed in from his desk. He looked to Sharon, "Ma'am, we've been talking with your friends here for about 25 minutes. We didn't know when you and the lieutenant would be back from the range, and we didn't want to spoil their surprise."

Sharon nodded, and Becky gestured to both Sharon and Andy, "So, you don't wear police uniforms then?"

Sharon smiled and smoothed down her skirt, "No," she told them. "These," she gestured to the team, "are the most elite detectives in the LAPD, and as detectives, we do not wear a uniform, just suits to work."

"No wonder you had such good fashion sense," Kathy grinned. "You look very powerful."

"Oh, she is Ma'am," Buzz chimed in from where he was leaning against Mike's desk. "She's the boss, and you don't mess with the boss. Even her boss knows not to mess with her."

The team chuckled, as did Andy and Sharon. Their friends all grinned and started to laugh too. Sharon just raised her eyebrow and shrugged in agreement.

"Elite, huh?" Eric smiled. "Andy, they let you work here too, then?"

"Eric, I ask myself that each day," Provenza grumbled from his seat. All eyes turned to him, and he shrugged too. "What? I met the friends in Ohio. We bonded, mainly over what idiots those two have been for years."

"So, the weapons," Becky gestured at the firearms on both Sharon and Andy. Sharon looked to hers and then to Becky as Becky continued, "you all carry those all day?"

"Well, sort of, yes," Sharon nodded. "I normally have mine in my desk drawer or purse. I put it on as my sidearm when I leave the building, or the floor, as I did today. Andy and I were at the firing range this morning. The team takes turns going; we went this morning. So, mine is still here, yes, but Andy, and the rest of them," she nodded to the team, "they wear their weapons most of the time."

"Life's mysteries," Provenza chimed in again, "just the happenstance of the Captain and Flynn ending up at the range together. Flynn and I used to shoot at the range together, but apparently if your last name isn't Flynn now, you aren't welcome in that group."

Sharon rolled her eyes at her friends and turned to Provenza. She clasped her hands in front of her, "Lieutenant, are you sad you can't have a play date with Andy? We can fix that. Next range day, I'll swap. You can go with Andy, and I'll go with Amy."

Amy started to laugh, "Looking forward to it, Captain, but no competition there. You'll still have the best shot."

"Great, I'll finally be the best shot," Andy chuckled. "Oh wait, I forgot Provenza has been much better at the range the last couple years with his new glasses." He continued to laugh.

Sharon turned back to Andy, "Says the man who won't wear his glasses at work. Honestly, Andy, you hide yours on your nightstand."

Julio smiled, "I love working here. I bet it's like this the whole time we are out in the field and Flynn is stuck here with her now."

Their friends, all listening to the banter, looked to the team, "Is it always like this here?"

Amy nodded, "Oh, yeah. And, it's worse now that Lieutenant Flynn is on desk duty. He had to get a special sign-off to just go to the range."

"Hey! I told you I'm fine," he sighed. "My commanding officer agrees with my doctor I need to remain on desk duty, even though I know I'd be fine," he said through gritted teeth.

Becky gestured, "Sharon, would you be the commanding officer, then?"

Sharon nodded, "Ahh, yes, overall, I am. All report initially to Lieutenant Provenza, and then from that, to me."

"Andy, we were sorry to hear about your heart attack," Mike looked at him. "Rusty told us you've been doing pretty well since then."

"Thanks," he nodded. "Yeah, it's a struggle with food right now, but I'm managing."

"That's right," Buzz added. "You do know Rusty."

"Oh, we certainly do," Becky grinned. "We first knew him as Chris, but Rusty has been to visit us twice now since he's been at school. It's been great seeing him, and I hope he thinks of us as a second family."

"Maybe a third," Provenza tried to hide a smile. "Those two," he gestured at Sharon and Andy, "might legally be his first family, but that makes all of us a very close second. We all met Rusty at the same time. Those two just happened to make a family with him and all their kids. We're his second family, and that would make you third, not that I'm counting," he shrugged.

"Louie, we'll take that title," Kathy smiled at him.

"You let them call you Louie?" Mike jumped in and looked to the friends. "Wow, consider yourself lucky. He doesn't let any of us, well, maybe the captain on occasion, call him Louie. He barely lets his wife call him that and not even his grandchildren. Provenza, you must have really liked Ohio yourself."

"Well," he said turning red, "it's not California, but it wasn't all that bad. The idiot level seemed to be much lower, but of course, we do have more people, and with more people, you get more idiots."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Becky said, digging something out of her large bag. "Louie, we brought you some Buckeyes! A little birdie told us how much you loved these," she said as she walked the box of candy to him. His eyes grew wide, and he pointed to Sharon and Andy.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Andy exclaimed. "I'm sure Sharon didn't tell them."

"No, I didn't," she started to laugh, "but I should have thought to do that."

Provenza's eyes grew wide, "Rusty?"

"Yes, Rusty mentioned how much you loved them. He said you ate them all the way across the United States. He really likes you, misses you too. We've heard some great stories from Rusty, about all of you," she nodded to the team.

"Ahh, which is why we are having that barbeque this weekend at the house," Sharon smiled at everyone. She turned to their friends, "We are so glad you are staying at the house with Andy and me. It's rather quiet with Rusty at school, and of course, the other kids are living their own lives. We're very excited you are here, and we've taken tomorrow and Friday off to spend some time sightseeing with you. We made dinner reservations tonight at a local seafood place, a favorite restaurant of ours. Then, this weekend, we invited the team over to meet all of you. This is going to be such a great trip for you!" Sharon squealed.

The group all nodded, and Kathy looked to Provenza, "Louie, are we going to meet your wife this weekend?"

He frowned, "I was planning to bring her, why? She and the captain have become BFFs, which I've been told means 'Best Friends Forever,'" he rolled his eyes at the term, and the team chuckled.

"Great! Becky and I can't wait to meet her. We think she sounds like quite the catch."

"Yes, the whole team is coming," she looked to the team. "You are all still coming, right?" They all nodded, and Sharon turned back to the group, "You can meet everyone then."

"Let me just say," Andy leaned in, "Sharon has been excited for your visit for over a month, since you planned it. It was right after my heart attack, and she hasn't stopped talking about it."

"We're so excited too. We've really missed you, Sharon, and you, as well, Andy," Becky smiled. She turned to the team, "We were very close in Ohio. I know you missed her here, but she and Rusty were very special to us too. The weather is turning in Ohio; snow is in the forecast, so this is the perfect time to visit California."

"Why don't you come to my office," Sharon nodded to it. "We can put down all of your things, and maybe I can give you a tour," she told them.

Andy looked to her, "I'm happy to do it, you know," he smirked, "resident desk monkey."

"Oh," she patted his arm, "I believe Provenza has a stack of paperwork waiting for you," she nodded to his desk.

"It's so sweet you two work together," Kathy smiled.

"Why do you think his desk is next to her door?" Julio grinned. "Guy has been there at the captain's side for years."

Sharon just shrugged as she winked at Andy, "Yes, through all of this, through living in hiding to now being back home, life has a crazy way of working out sometimes. Witness protection allowed me to find myself and acknowledge what I really needed in life," she reached over and squeezed Andy's hand. "It dropped new friends in my life, lifelong friends," she smiled at Becky, Kathy, Eric, and Mike. "It allowed Rusty to find his place, his school. It brought Andy and me together, even though we'd spent years just a few feet apart," she nodded to their desks. "As hard as it was," she took a deep breath, "I'd do it all over again if I had to do so."


End file.
